The Jayhawks survived a late Iowa State rally and snapped a three-game losing streak.

“We played a great ball club,” KU coach Marian Washington said. “But I’m so proud of our team. We had a game plan and we stuck to it.”

The Cyclones (20-4, 10-3 Big 12) are notorious three-point shooters, so Kansas (10-14, 4-9) focused on defending the perimeter. KU’s defense succeeded in holding Iowa State to just 23.5 percent shooting (4-for-17) from three-point land.

“We had to cover up the threes as best (we) can,” Washington said. “We had to extend the defense knowing that we may get hurt inside.”

Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo

Kansas, meanwhile, hit 42.9 percent (6-for-14) from beyond the arc. Junior KC Hilgenkamp’s fourth three-pointer gave KU a 64-59 lead with 1:13 remaining.

Before Hilgenkamp’s big three-pointer, Iowa State had whittled a seven-point KU lead to two points during a Jayhawk scoring drought that lasted nearly three minutes.

“This is the first time I’ve been able to say this in a while we played a good game, it was close and we won,” Washington said. “We took care of the ball, especially in the first half with only six turnovers. This is the best intensity we have had in a while. KC stepped up for us down the stretch and hit a clutch three.”

KU led most of the way and dominated ISU in every statistical category. The Jayhawks held a 36-28 rebounding advantage and had seven more second-chance points. The Jayhawks also sank 17 of 20 free-throw attempts, compared to 17 of 26 for ISU.

Kansas and Iowa State traded points for the majority of the first half. The Jayhawks came out aggressive, forcing 11 of 19 Cyclone turnovers in the first 20 minutes.

Senior guard Jennifer Jackson carried KU in the period, scoring 13 of her 17 points before the break. Her basket with 45 seconds left gave Kansas a 35-29 halftime lead.

“They beat us my sophomore year at home and it would have been coach’s 500th win,” Jackson said. “I’ll never forget the looks of disappointment in the locker room. So, it’s a great personal challenge with this ball club.”

The Cyclones climbed within three points 37-34 during the opening minutes of the second half. Senior forward Brooke Reves and Jackson wouldn’t allow the lead to dwindle any further, combining for six points within a one-minute stretch.

After getting in foul trouble and playing only seven minutes in the first half, Reves scored all 15 of her points in the second half.

The Jayhawks led by as much as nine points in the half before Lindsey Wilson rallied the Cyclones with seven straight points. The sophomore used her height advantage against Kansas junior Selena Scott to attack the middle and pull the Cyclones within 51-48 with 6:11 remaining.

Reves, however, scored six points in a 63-second span to keep KU in front.

Angie Welle gave the Cyclones hope when she sank a three-pointer with 3:04 remaining and knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:35 left to pull her team within 61-59.

Hilgenkamp came through with the biggest shot of the game when her three-pointer gave the Jayhawks a five-point advantage.

“That shot felt really good,” said Hilgenkamp, who made 4 of 6 three-point shots for 12 points. “My shots were falling all night, but I think we all did a great job.”

KU forward Jaclyn Johnson fouled out with 59 seconds left, but Iowa State freshman Erica Junod missed both free throws.

Reserve Nikki White and Reves combined to make five of six free-throw attempts down the stretch to seal the victory.

White finished with nine points and four rebounds in 14 minutes. Johnson scored 10 points and led the Jayhawks with eight rebounds and six steals.

“It’s amazing to see how every time they tried to shut someone down, we’d say ‘well, OK,’ and someone else would step up,” Reves said.

Welle led ISU with 20 points. Wilson and Megan Taylor both had 13 for ISU, which has lost two in a row.

The Jayhawks play Nebraska on Wednesday at Lincoln, Neb.