Ames, Ia- Iowa State Women’s basketball (10-6; 1-4 Conf) came into Hilton Wednesday night with hopes to take down number 22 Oklahoma. The Cyclones have struggled closing out games recently against their Big 12 counterparts, and many were anxious to see if Iowa State could finish against a top 25 opponent.
Iowa State came out struggling with turnovers and missed shots, until their first points at the seven-minute mark. Both teams really went different routes on offense from the start of the game. While Iowa State tried to establish themselves out on the arch, Oklahoma continuously fed it inside, scoring 10 of their 14 first-quarter points in the paint. By the end of the first, Iowa State held a narrow two-point lead.
The second quarter saw much of the same. Iowa State seemed to get their wits under the basket and held Oklahoma to just two points in the paint the entire second quarter. With Oklahoma unable to score at the post, the Cyclones jumped out to what would eventually become an eight-point lead with two minutes left in the half. However, the Sooners slashed the lead with two huge three-pointers by Maddie Manning. The Cyclones went into the break up 30 to 28. This is the last time Iowa State would lead.
Missed layups would once again plagued the Cyclones again, as they went 0-4 and a missed three in the first three and a half minutes of the second half. On the other side, Oklahoma once again showed the superiority in the paint, as Vionise Pierre-Louis went and scored all of the Sooners eight points in the first three minutes. Both teams would go without scoring for two minutes before Jadda Buckley scored the easy layup for the Cyclones. Both teams went basket for basket for the next three minutes, before Oklahoma once again put their foot on the gas and racked up an eight-point lead before the end of the third quarter.
After being outscored 21-12, Iowa State needed to swing some momentum back in their favor. They found some with two layups by Seanna Johnson and a pair of free throws by Bridget Carleton to knock the Oklahoma lead down to four. However, Gabbi Ortiz managed to snag the basket and a foul at the seven-second mark. Bridget Carleton had another jumper to put the Cyclones back within five until Gabbi Ortiz once again scored another layup with six minutes left. For the next two and a half minutes, Iowa State went on a 5-0 run to push the Sooner lead back to two before the media timeout. Oklahoma came out of the timeout making two free throws and a quick jumper. The Cyclones also managed to nab a pair of free throws themselves, however, that would be the last time the cyclones would score at the 2:55 mark. From then, Oklahoma made free throws and Iowa State couldn’t seem to find a quick rhythm for their offense. When it was all said and done, Oklahoma topped Iowa State 67-57
Oklahoma’s Vionise Pierre-Louis was definitely the story of the game, coming off the bench to score eighteen against the Cyclones and finishing with a double-double. Gabbi Ortiz and Gioya Carter both finished the game with eleven and Maddie Manning with ten.
Iowa State saw Meredith Burkhall get another double-double with eleven points and eleven rebounds. Bridget Carleton was the leading scorer for the Cyclones, netting fifteen for the night. Seanna Johnson finished with fourteen points and nine rebounds.
Things will get better for the Cyclones before they get worse. TCU is the matchup Sunday down in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs haven’t been able to get a Big 12 win this season and sit just below Iowa State at ninth in the conference. The Cyclones will then have their toughest game of the year when they take on number two Baylor down in Waco on Wednesday.
