BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- Curtis Stinson scored 14 of his 22 points in the second half and had seven assists as Iowa State kept its NCAA Tournament aspirations alive with a 78-73 victory over Colorado on Saturday.
Will Blalock and Tasheed Carr added 20 points each for Iowa State (17-10, 9-7 Big 12 Conference), a tournament bubble team with a 71 RPI. The Cyclones shot 56 percent in the second half after a dismal first half to win their second straight game.
Andy Osborn had 14 points on four 3-pointers for Colorado (13-15, 4-12), which cannot win a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Buffaloes ended the regular season with a five-game losing streak, finishing 11th in the Big 12 ahead of only Baylor.
Baskets by Damion Staple and Stinson put Iowa State ahead 46-41 with 13:17 left after Blalock's eight points helped erase a five-point halftime deficit. Chris Copeland hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 47-46 and Colorado stayed within striking distance as Osborn hit two 3-pointers.
Marcus Hall's two free throws got the Buffaloes as close as 72-72 with 52 seconds left. Blalock sank four free throws and Stinson two for Iowa State the rest of the way to seal the win as Colorado missed its last four shots.
The Cyclones shot 31 percent from the field and trailed 31-26 at the half.
