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Pullen scores 17 on senior night, leads Cats over Iowa State
spt ap KState Kelly
Iowa State guard Darion Jake Anderson (5) passes to a teammate around Kansas State defenders forward Curtis Kelly, left, and guard Shane Southwell (1) during the first half of a Big 12 Conference basketball game on Saturday in Manhattan. - photo by AP Photo

MANHATTAN (AP) — Jacob Pullen, in his last game at Bramlage Coliseum, scored 17 points and Kansas State held off Iowa State 67-55 Saturday, ending the regular season on a six-game winning streak.
After starting the Big 12 season 1-4, the Wildcats (22-9, 10-6) have won eight of nine. They’ll go into next week’s conference tournament as the hottest team in the league.
Pullen was given a standing ovation in Senior Night ceremonies before the game and the sellout crowd again came to its feet with a few seconds to go when coach Frank Martin substituted for the bearded guard who is one of only two Kansas State players to score more than 2,000 points.
Diante Garrett, breaking the Iowa State record with his 127th game played, led the Cyclones (16-15, 3-13) with 18 points and also had five assists.
Immediately after the game, the sellout crowd was asked to stay for a “special announcement.” After a video board presentation of highlights of Pullen’s career, Martin presented him with a game ball.
The victory secured the No. 4 seed in the Big 12 tournament, meaning the Wildcats will get one of four first-round byes. Will Spradling and Curtis Kelly, Kansas State’s other senior, each had 13 points. The Wildcats, who struggled from the foul line during their ragged stretch earlier in the season, hit 16 of 22.
Early in the second half, Garrett stole a Pullen pass and drove in for a bucket to ignite a 6-0 run that gave the Cyclones their first lead of the game, 39-38, on Anderson’s bucket.
But Pullen, just 1 for 7 from the floor at that point, drove in for a layup, and then Spradling scored six straight points. Knocked to the floor by Bubu Palo on a 3-point attempt, Spradling canned three foul shots and then, after a turnover by Iowa State’s Melvin Ejim, Spradling hit a 3-pointer for a 46-39 lead with 12:22 left.
The Cyclones had a chance to cut the lead to two points, but Calvin Godfrey missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Jamar Samuels, fouled by Godfrey, then drained two from the foul line and put the Wildcats on top 57-51 with 3:14 left.
Devon Peterson swished a 10-foot jumper a moment later for Kansas State, and Pullen connected for 3, putting the Wildcats on top 62-51 with 1:36 to go.
The Cyclones, who came in leading the Big 12 with more than eight 3-pointers per game, were only 4 for 23 from behind the arc.
Among the players Garrett had shared the games-played record with was Fred Hoiberg, who finished last in the Big 12 his first year as Iowa State coach.

BIG 12 CONFERENCE BASKETBALL
Saturday
At Manhattan
Kansas State 67, Iowa State 55
IOWA STATE (16-15)
     Ejim 2-4 0-0 4, Vanderbeken 3-7 0-2 6, Anderson 4-14 0-1 9, Garrett 7-16 2-2 18, Christopherson 1-12 2-2 5, Railey 1-2 0-0 2, Palo 2-2 0-0 4, McBeth 0-0 0-0 0, McKnight 0-0 0-0 0, Godfrey 3-5 1-3 7, Mitchell 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-62 5-10 55.
KANSAS STATE (22-9)
     Kelly 6-10 1-3 13, Samuels 2-4 3-4 8, Pullen 4-12 7-8 17, Southwell 0-0 0-0 0, McGruder 3-8 0-0 7, Peterson 2-3 0-0 4, Irving 0-0 0-0 0, Myles 0-0 0-0 0, Russell 0-0 0-0 0, Henriquez-Roberts 2-4 1-2 5, Spradling 3-6 4-5 13. Totals 22-47 16-22 67.
     Halftime — Kansas State 33, Iowa State 29. Three-point goals — Iowa St. 4-23 (Garrett 2-7, Christopherson 1-6, Anderson 1-6, Ejim 0-1, Vanderbeken 0-3), Kansas St. 7-17 (Spradling 3-6, Pullen 2-4, Samuels 1-2, McGruder 1-5). Rebounds — Iowa St. 30 (Anderson 9), Kansas St. 39 (Kelly 8). Assists — Iowa St. 10 (Garrett 5), Kansas St. 16 (Pullen, Spradling 4). Total fouls — Iowa St. 19, Kansas St. 16.