It is officially March Madness, and the craziness has arrived in college basketball.
Though Selection Sunday is still a few days away, automatic bids are at stake this week as conference tournaments get underway.
Iowa State guard Eli King reacts to being knocked to the floor during the Big 12 Tournament game between the Baylor Bears and the Iowa State Cyclones at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday. (Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
In the Big 12, No. 10 Baylor played Iowa State in the quarterfinals on Thursday, and an issue with the court gave fans of college basketball a first.
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Late in the second half, play was briefly delayed as a protruding nail needed to be hammered back into the court in order for the game to resume.
“We got a new one for you,” ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla said on the broadcast. “There’s a nail sticking up out of the floor. … They think it’s sharp enough that they need to come in. Here comes the hammer guy, and he’s going to hammer this nail.”
“That’s a first,” he added.
Following the stoppage, the Cyclones defeated Baylor 78-72, beating the Bears for the third time this season.
Iowa State got 24 points from senior guard Gabe Kalscheur to advance to the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament for the first time since 2019.
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“Gabe’s confidence right now is sky-high and his teammates are really looking for him,” Cyclones coach T.J. Otzelberger said, according to the Des Moines Register.
Iowa State guard Gabe Kalscheur gestures after hitting a 3-point shot during the Big 12 Tournament game between the Baylor Bears and the Iowa State Cyclones at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday. (Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Iowa State came into the game focused on the glass and outrebounded Baylor 44-17, including grabbing 21 offensive boards.
Baylor forward Jalen Bridges led the Bears with 28 points, knocking down seven of eight shots from beyond the 3-point line, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Cyclones.
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Baylor guard LJ Cryer reacts after losing possession of the ball during the Big 12 Tournament game between the Baylor Bears and the Iowa State Cyclones at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. on Thursday. (Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“We tried to get Jalen going on that matchup, and that worked. Twelve assists and 11 turnovers, that worked,” Baylor head coach Scott Drew said. “It came down to rebounding. Period. That’s it. Simple thing. Football, it’s turnovers. Basketball, you got to rebound. Normally, we always win second-chance points. Even if we break even, we win the game. It’s that simple.”
Iowa State will play No. 3 Kansas in the semifinals.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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