Each of Nijel Pack's three games where he scored at least 30 point have resulted in losses. The first two came against Kansas and Baylor, but it happened once again at home versus Iowa State on Saturday.

He was at a loss for words immediately after Kansas State's third straight loss. It may be the realization that their NCAA Tournament hopes have likely slipped through their grasps after falling to the Cyclones.

Pack was elite from the field. He did everything he could do to win. He shot with great efficiency. It was his teammates that struggled from the field. However, he maturely still took accountability for some of the loss and mentioned that his six turnovers were inexcusable.

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Markquis Nowell shared that Saturday's game was a reflection of the season. The Wildcats are 3-7 in games decided by five points or less. Outside of a couple matchups with Kansas and Baylor, they've been in the fight all year.

Iowa State had K-State's backs against the wall when they raced to a 15-point lead in the second half. But the Wildcats responded with some better scoring and pressure defense and pulled close only to still come up short.

It was reminiscent of their Big 12 season. They began the year 0-4, won six of their next nine conference games but have followed it up with three consecutive losses versus Oklahoma State, the Jayhawks and the Cyclones.

Kansas State hasn’t received any production from their bigs for nearly entirety of the Big 12 slate. Specifically, their struggles have been magnified on the offensive end and on the glass.

As a team, the Wildcats rebounded pretty well in the prior losses against the Cowboys and Kansas. That came to an end on Saturday. They were beat by nine on the glass and allowed 15 second chance points.

The biggest reason? The leading rebounder of the Big 12, Mark Smith, dealt with foul trouble throughout the contest. He played just 24 minutes and fouled out with just under two minutes remaining. K-State was drilled on the glass during his absences.

After the game, Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber told his team that he loves them and was proud of their resilience. Although it came in a gut-wrenching loss, he still found a way to compliment his players.

Weber was also honest with the media when saying that they needed more offensive production from the rest of the club, aside from Pack. But he didn't call out any Wildcat, specifically.

Although he issued some credit to Iowa State, he did mention that he would have liked to see a foul on the final possession when Pack was crowded by two defenders with 16 seconds left on the clock.

The coach’s clipboard took the brunt of the abuse when he whipped it to the ground once the outcome was no longer in doubt.