KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Seventh-ranked Iowa State leaned on defense, rebounding and balanced scoring to pull away from No. 16 Texas Tech for a 75-53 victory in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Conference men’s basketball tournament Thursday afternoon at T-Mobile Center.

Iowa State (27-6) held Texas Tech to just 20 points in the second half while shooting 53.6 percent from the field and dominating inside to advance to the semifinals.

Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey led the Cyclones with 20 points, hitting 8 of 12 shots and 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Forward Joshua Jefferson added 18 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for his latest double-double as Iowa State controlled the paint and the glass.

Iowa State outrebounded Texas Tech 39-29 and outscored the Red Raiders 42-18 in the paint, turning defensive stops into transition opportunities throughout the second half. The Cyclones also forced 10 turnovers and converted them into 17 points.

Texas Tech (22-10) stayed within striking distance early, trailing just 36-33 at halftime. But Iowa State’s defense tightened dramatically after the break, holding the Red Raiders to 6-for-27 shooting in the second half.

“I thought our guys did a really good job staying the course,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said after the game. “In the second half we defended, rebounded and shared the basketball the way we need to if we want to keep advancing.”

A decisive stretch midway through the second half broke the game open. Iowa State used a 15-0 run to push its lead into double digits and eventually build an advantage as large as 24 points.

The Cyclones’ depth also played a role. Reserve forward Dominykas Pleta scored 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, while guard Jamarion Batemon added eight points off the bench as Iowa State finished with 21 bench points.

Lipsey’s scoring burst helped spark the Cyclones’ momentum. The junior guard knocked down multiple perimeter shots during the decisive run and helped Iowa State maintain control of the tempo.

“Knowing the excitement of this tournament and obviously our fans call it ‘Hilton South,’ you can see how well our fans travel and it helps us a lot in these games,” Lipsey said. “That’s the goal of coming down here is to win, but you’ve got to take it one game at a time.”

Jefferson’s all-around performance anchored Iowa State throughout the game. The senior forward finished 8 of 13 from the field while pulling down a game-high 13 rebounds and distributing a team-high six assists.

The Cyclones shot 30 of 56 overall and made seven 3-pointers while limiting Texas Tech to 33.9 percent shooting. Iowa State also recorded eight steals as its pressure defense disrupted the Red Raiders’ offensive rhythm.

Texas Tech was led by guard LeJuan Watts with 12 points, while guards Christian Anderson and Donovan Atwell added 10 and nine points, respectively.

The victory continued Iowa State’s recent surge in the conference tournament and added another milestone for Otzelberger, who matched former Cyclone coaches Fred Hoiberg and Johnny Orr with seven conference tournament wins.

No. 7 Iowa St. 75, No. 16 Texas Tech 53

IOWA ST. (27-6) — Buchanan 3-5 3-3 9, Jefferson 8-13 2-5 18, Momcilovic 2-8 0-0 5, Lipsey 8-12 0-2 20, Toure 1-4 0-0 2, Batemon 3-6 0-0 8, Heise 1-3 0-0 2, Pleta 4-5 3-4 11, Kelderman 0-0 0-0 0, Mulder 0-0 0-0 0, Nelson 0-0 0-0 0, Rise 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS 30-56 8-14 75.

TEXAS TECH (22-10) — Bamgboye 0-1 2-2 2, Watts 5-12 1-2 12, Anderson 4-10 0-0 10, Atwell 3-10 0-0 9, Petty 3-10 0-0 8, Moseley 3-7 0-2 6, Bryan 0-2 1-2 1, Henderson 1-3 0-0 3, Horner 0-1 2-2 2, Akuentok 0-0 0-0 0, Groves 0-0 0-0 0, Francis 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS 19-56 6-10 53.

Halftime–Iowa St. 36-33. 3-Point Goals–Iowa St. 7-18 (Lipsey 4-7, Batemon 2-3, Momcilovic 1-6, Jefferson 0-2), Texas Tech 9-29 (Atwell 3-9, Anderson 2-6, Petty 2-8, Henderson 1-1, Watts 1-3, Bryan 0-2). Rebounds–Iowa St. 33 (Jefferson 13), Texas Tech 27 (Watts 7). Assists–Iowa St. 14 (Jefferson 6), Texas Tech 11 (Petty 4). Total Fouls–Iowa St. 14, Texas Tech 11.