The above photo and below release are courtesy of Iowa State athletics communications.
OKLAHOMA CITY – No. 7 seed Iowa State (14-16, 7-11 Big 12) opened up the 2018 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship with a 74-49 win over No. 10 seed Texas Tech (7-23, 1-17 Big 12) Friday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The win was the Cyclones’ first in the Big 12 tournament since 2012, and advances them to take on the No. 2 seed Texas tomorrow at 6 p.m. in OKC.
The ISU effort was led by 24 points from Bridget Carleton, 15 from Emily Durr and Madison Wise had a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Cyclone defense was able to force 16 Texas Tech turnovers, leading to 20 points off said turnovers. Meanwhile, the ISU offense was able to keep its noses clean with just seven turnovers in the game.
How It Happened
A slow starting contest got the spark it needed from Emily Durr, the senior finished off a fast-break with a corner 3-pointer to put the Cyclones ahead 7-2. The trey was part of a 10-0 run which helped break open the contest in favor of ISU. The Lady Raiders shot 2-of-12 in the first period (16.7 percent) while committing eight turnovers, allowing ISU to pull ahead by 14 after one.
Tech was able to string together some buckets early in the second quarter, cutting the Cyclone lead down to seven. The Cyclones recovered with 3-pointers by Durr and Bridget Carleton to push the advantage into double figures at 29-17, part of a 10-2 run to close out the half and give Iowa State a 34-19 halftime lead.
The momentum carried over to the second half, with ISU opening the period with a 7-2 run to see the lead pushed to 20 points at 41-21. The third quarter was a good one for the ISU offense, as the Cyclones shot 9-of-18 (50.0 percent) for the period as the lead reached as many as 26 points.
The Cyclones continued to control things the rest of the way, with the lead reaching as many as 30 points in the latter stages of the contest.
Players of Note
Bridget Carleton went 0-for-9 to start the game, but was able to continue to contribute from the charity stripe before getting going from the field, making 7-of-8 from the line in the same stretch. Carleton continued her run of scoring in double figures in every game this season, finishing with 24 points, and three steals. Her three interceptions moves her 65 on the season.
Emily Durr got 13 of her 15 points in the first half. In the second 20 minutes, she moved to the role of distributor, posting all three of her assists in the second half.
Madison Wise’s 10 points and 10 rebounds marked her second career double-double, her first since November.
Cyclone Quick Hits
*Iowa State has hit a 3-pointer in an NCAA-record 734-straight games.
*The Cyclones won a game at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship for the first time since 2012.
*Madison Wise recorded 10 points, her 11th game of the season over 10 points.
*Wise also grabbed 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season.
*Emily Durr notched 15 points, her 17th game of the season in double figures, 37th of her career.
*Bridget Carleton posted 25 points, her 21st career game with 20+ points (11th of the season). She has scored in double figures in all 30 games this season.
*Carleton is now at 1,357 points for her career, tying Tracy Gahan for 15th in school history for career scoring.
*Carleton also notched three steals, moving her sixth on ISU’s single-season list with 65 for the campaign.
Up Next
Iowa State plays in the quarterfinals tomorrow at 6 p.m. against the No. 2 seed, Texas. Tomorrow’s contest will be televised on FSN.
