Gabe Kalscheur's 3-pointer saves Iowa State in win over TCU

FORT WORTH, Texas – For the first time since its last Elite 8 men's basketball team accomplished the feat, Iowa State is 3-0 in the Big 12.

And the Cyclones have Gabe Kalscheur to thanks for it.

The 25th-ranked Cyclones blew an 8-point lead in the final two minutes of the game, but Kalscheur’s 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining gave Iowa State a 69-67 victory over No. 17 TCU on Saturday at Schollmaier Arena.

"We really believe that the team that’s more together is going to find a way to win those close games, however you have to do that," Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said.

Iowa State is 12-2 overall with its first undefeated three-game start to conference play since the 1999-2000 campaign. Coach Larry Eustachy’s team won the Big 12 and advanced to within a game of the Final Four that season.

Seven different Cyclones scored at least six points while four were in double figures, led by Kalscheur’s 15.

Iowa State was scintillating offensively, shooting 52.5 percent from the floor.

The Cyclones will try to match the 1999-2000 team’s 4-0 start to Big 12 play Tuesday when Texas Tech visits Hilton Coliseum.

Incredible start

In a league as strong and deep as the Big 12, it can’t be overstated how remarkable Iowa State’s 3-0 start is. Two of the wins have come against ranked opponents, while two were on the road. This win over the Horned Frogs (13-2, 2-1), who had won 11 straight, gives the Cyclones a road win over a ranked opponent.

Quite the start for a team picked to finish eighth in the league after turning over much of the roster from last year's shocking Sweet 16 berth.

"I just think it shows our will to win no matter what odds are stacked against us," senior Jaren Holmes said. "We’re not trying to prove people wrong. We’re just proving ourselves right every single day."

Iowa State has put itself in great position. Thanks to a strong non-conference showing and the Big 12’s strength, Iowa State entered league play probably needing seven or eight conference victories to get into the NCAA Tournament. To reach that now, Iowa State simply has to go 4-11 or 5-10 over their final 15 games to reach that mark.

But it also may be time to start thinking bigger.

Iowa State may not be considered a threat to topple No. 3 Kansas or No. 6 Texas in the league race, but the Cyclones may be in that next tier of teams. That puts a top-four seed and a spot in the Des Moines NCAA Tournament regional in play.

There’s a long road between here and there, and Iowa State’s offense is too inconsistent to get overconfident if you’re a Cyclones fan, but this team has proven a lot already this season. It might be time to stop thinking of them of a pesky underdog and more like one of the league’s toughest outs.

"Obviously, it’s great," Otzelberger said of the 3-0 start. "It’s so hard to win in this league. It’s so hard to win on the road.

"We just have to keep getting better every day. It’s early January. It's a long conference season. It’s just one day at a time."

Game winner

The original plan for Iowa State's final offensive possession was to go to Gabe Osunniyi inside. That, though, wasn't there. So Iowa State point guard Tamin Lipsey looked to the left wing for Kalscheur, who already had a plan for what he was going to do once he got the ball.

"I knew I was going to get to a side-step shot," he said. "It’s kind of my go-to."

So even a couple steps from beyond the arc with a defender in his face, Kalscheur's teammates felt confident when they saw the shot leave his hands.

"He makes that all the time. I knew that was good. That’s his move," Holmes said. "He works on it every day. He got to it. Shot fake, sidestep. That’s easy money.

"I’ve seen him work on in it countless hours. "

That work is something Otzelberger always highlights when talking about his senior guard.

"He’s the hardest worker I’ve ever been around," Otzelberger said. "Players a lot of time want the coach to be confident in them, and Gabe’s a guy you can have unlimited confidence in based on the work that he does every single day.

"I knew he’d be ready when the opportunity presented itself, and I’m really proud of him for stepping up in that big moment."

Demarion Watson’s upside makes an appearance

It wasn’t much in the way of statistical production, but Iowa State freshman Demarion Watson played some of his best minutes of the season Saturday.

In seven first-half minutes, he had two points, a block and two boards, but more important, he used his considerable athleticism and length to make an impact on the floor. The rebounds were hard-fought and the block came from the help side, where his length was able to erase a shot.

Later in the second half, Watson blocked Emmanuel Miller’s dunk attempt with an impressive display of verticality and strength.

The 6-foot-6 Minnesotan is still raw, but it’s a positive sign to see that the upside he arrived on campus with is now transforming into tangible production. Sometimes freshmen can get swallowed up by their rookie seasons, but it appears as though Watson is getting stronger through his.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Gabe Kalscheur's 3-pointer lifts Iowa State men's basketball past TCU