By: Andreas Haffar
Ames, IA — The Iowa State women’s basketball team suffered a defeat at the hands of No. 21 Oklahoma State 77-71 at Hilton Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. This loss extends the Cyclones’ losing streak to five consecutive games in Big 12 play.
Junior Seanna Johnson led the Cyclones with 18 points, 12 rebounds and two assists. It inevitably proved to be a landmark day for the junior out of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, setting her own personal record of over 1,000 collegiate career points, making it 1,017 following today’s result. She is the 28th Cyclone to score over 1,000 points.
The Sooners began the game quickly and energetically, as sophomore guard Gabbi Ortiz was able to sneak behind the Iowa State defense and execute easy layups on a number of occasions early on. The Cyclones trailed 17-9 in the latter half of the first quarter but scores from Madison Baier and Jadda Buckley, followed by three converted free throw attempts from Emily Durr saw Iowa State hit an 8-0 scoring streak, tying the game 17-17.
The second quarter was much better for Coach Bill Fennelly’s team and they went on a 10-0 run to earn a 35-28 lead at the half. Emily Durr had a game-high 10 points at halftime, with Oklahoma State’s Ortiz having nine points respectively.
All the hard work Iowa State put in to secure a lead before halftime was wiped away with the Sooners’ 9-2 scoring streak to begin the third quarter. The Sooners would then go on to hit four triples and end out the quarter in the lead, 54-48.
With the fans cheering them on, the Cyclones gave it one last push in the fourth quarter and started well with a 9-2 run. The game just slipped away from them though, with Oklahoma State taking control and winning 77-71.
For Iowa State, it was a story of missed opportunities and being punished for it.
“We’re playing hard, we’re trying hard but we just can’t make enough shots. Our inability to make shots in the second half, in a game where the tempo was a little faster, really hurt us and until we get that cleaned up a bit, there’s no way for us to be successful,” said Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly.
Seanna Johnson reflected on today’s result and what to expect from the team in the future.
“We know we’re on a losing streak and we always say that tough times don’t last. Every team has their downfalls and every team goes on losing stretches but it’s those special teams that comes out ready and more focused…we have to stay confident and stay motivated…we have to focus on what we can do as a team.”
The Cyclones take to the road to face Kansas on February 2. Tip-off is at 7 p.m., and will be televised on ESPN3.
