ISU Sweeps State with Win Over Drake

Tuesday, December 5

Ames, Iowa

7:00 PM

Iowa State

6-1

Drake

4-2

Team	1	2	F
Drake	28	34	62
Iowa State	32	38	70

ISU Sweeps State with Win Over Drake

12.05.2006 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Iowa State University

AMES, Iowa ? Toccara Ross led the Iowa State women's basketball team, as it knocked off Drake, 70-62, Tuesday night at Hilton Coliseum. ISU claimed its second straight mythical state title, after defeating Northern Iowa and Iowa earlier this season.

With the win the Cyclones improved to 6-1 on the year, while Drake fell to 4-2 on the year. Iowa State will play host to Minnesota Golden Gophers at 7 p.m. Saturday at Hilton.

“I am happy for our players and our alumni, winning all our in-state games for the second year in a row,” ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said. “It's important to our school and it's important to our program and we are very excited to do it two years in a row.”

Drake tied the game at 46-all with 10 minutes to play in the contest, but Iowa State ran off an 11-0 spurt that included three-point baskets by freshman Alison Lacey and sophomore post player Nicky Wieben, to go ahead 57-48, and ISU never relinquished its lead.

The Bulldogs cut ISU's lead to four points twice in the last minute and a half, but Lyndsey Medders and Heather Ezell were a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe down the stretch to hold off Drake.

Junior Toccara Ross piled up her sixth straight double figure scoring effort with a career-high 23 points and seven rebounds to lead the Cyclones. Nicky Wieben posted 15 points and six rebounds, and Rachel Pierson had 11 points and three boards, as the post players paced Iowa State for the second straight contest.

Iowa State took a 32-28 lead to the locker room, after shooting 57.5 percent from the field over the first 20 minutes. The Cyclones had a seven-point lead, 31-24, with three minutes left in the half, but Drake's Brandy Dahir put in two of her 15 first-half points and Lindsay Whorton knocked down a shot around an ISU free throw, to cut ISU's lead to four at the intermission.

Ross turned in 11 first half points, as she went 5-of-6 from the field in the first period. Iowa State never trailed during the first half, but Drake cut the lead to one, 16-15, before ISU expanded its lead back to eight, 25-17.

Iowa State shot 57.7 percent from the field for the game, while being held to a 22.2 percent mark from three-point range. The Cyclones owned the boards in the second half, winning the rebounding battle, 40-29. Drake shot 41.3 percent from the field and was led by a career-high 25 points from Dahir. Ashleigh Brady chipped in 11 points for the Bulldogs.