WBB: Cyclones Lock Down Buffs, 74-55

[Jeremy]

WBB: Cyclones Lock Down Buffs, 74-55
Media Relations

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State women’s basketball team shot better than 50 percent from the field for the fourth time this season and locked down on defense, as the Cyclones avenged an early-season loss to Colorado with a 74-55 win over the Buffaloes Saturday afternoon at Hilton Coliseum.

Iowa State improved to 19-7 on the season and 7-6 in the Big 12, moving above .500 in the league for the first time since defeating Kansas in the opening game of the conference season. Colorado dropped to 11-14 on the year and 5-8 in the league.

“I think we guarded really well,” head coach Bill Fennelly. “We really wanted to take them off the three-point shot and they only made two. I thought defensively we were locked in from the very beginning and did some good things. It was very efficient. I was very proud of them.”

The Cyclones were led by Nicky Wieben for the fourth straight game, posting 18 points on a 7-of-9 effort from the floor. Alison Lacey was the Cyclones’ only other double-digit scorer with 13 points, five rebounds and three assists. Five other ISU players finished with five or more points in a well-rounded effort. CU’s Kara Richards had 11 points and Jackie McFarland, who entered the game averaging 18.1 ppg, finished the day with 12.

“I think the thing with Nick is that she has been up and down, but she had a really good week (in games against Texas A&M and Colorado),” Fennelly said. “She has been efficient. She has scored. She has defended, and she’s played long minutes. She is really figuring some things out that we need her to do. If she’s scoring like that and she is long and active, that gives us some options. She’s had a great week.”

The Cyclones host their final home contest of the regular season at 7 p.m. Wednesday, when they face the 20th-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers at Hilton Coliseum. Iowa State will honor its three seniors, Lyndsey Medders, Megan Ronhovde and Abby Reinert in a postgame ceremony on Senior Day.

After leading 36-23 at halftime, Iowa State opened up an 18-point lead, 49-31 on a trey by Amanda Nisleit. ISU widened the gap to 21, 56-35, on a pair of free throws by Wieben. CU cut the lead to 14 on a three by McFarland with 6:46 to go in the contest, but ISU again found answers, running off another 7-0 spurt to take a 21-point advantage, 63-42, and the Buffs never got closer than 17 the rest of the way.

As cold as Iowa State started in Boulder, they were blistering hot to open the game against the Buffaloes in Ames. Lacey hit a wide open three-pointer and Ross put in back-to-back buckets in the paint, opening a 7-0 lead. Colorado answered, however, going on a 9-0 run to take its first lead. The Buffs took their largest lead at 16-12 after ISU committed six turnovers and went 2-of-9 from the field.

But ISU built a cushion with a 19-2 run of its own as Wieben and Lacey caught fire, turning in 11 and eight first-half points, respectively. Iowa State took a 29-18 lead, and continued to play well on both ends of the court, making it a 36-23 advantage at half.

After putting on a three-point shooting exhibition in the first meeting (13-for-23), Colorado struggled from the outside on Saturday, going 2-for-12, with a three in each half. The Buffs shot just 36.4 percent from the field, while Iowa State finished the contest at 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from long range (8-of-20). For the second straight game, ISU was outrebounded, 34-33. The Cyclones were solid from the charity stripe with a 20-for-23 showing from the line.

[mjones34]

So what...a couple wins away from a berth?!?