Lacey Leads Cyclones to Win Over KSU

Saturday, January 27

Ames, Iowa

2:00 PM

Iowa State

4-416-5; Big 12

Kansas State

3-415-5; Big 12

Team	1	2	F
Kansas State	35	33	68
Iowa State	36	37	73

Lacey Leads Cyclones to Win Over KSU

01.27.2007 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Iowa State University

AMES, Iowa ? Freshman Alison Lacey had a career night for the Iowa State women's basketball team as she led the Cyclones to a 73-68 win over Kansas State in Big 12 Conference action Saturday afternoon at Hilton Coliseum in front of 10,877 fans.

Lacey posted a career-high 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including a 4-of-7 mark from beyond the arc. She grabbed five rebounds and handed out three assists in the victory. In a game that was tied eight times and the lead changed hands 17 times, Lacey hit the biggest three of her young career to break a 60-60 tie and give Iowa State the lead for good.

With the win, Iowa State improved to 16-5 overall and got back to even at 4-4 in the Big 12. Kansas State dropped to 15-5 on the season and 3-4 in the league. The two teams will meet again in Manhattan, Kan., on Feb. 24.

“I thought that was one of the better played college games I've been a part of in this building in a long time,” ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said. “I thought both teams played hard, played well. There were people making shots and doing what they do best. I feel fortunate to win the game, honestly, because that's a very good team. They are well coached and hard to guard. It's one of those games that is fun to be a part of and obviously a little more fun when you win, but it was a great college game.”

The Cyclones took their largest lead of the second half, 44-39, on a trey by Heather Ezell with 17:30 to go in the game, and from there it was a shootout. Every time Iowa State found a way to score, Kansas State had an answer. The Wildcats hit 11 three-pointers in the contest, knocking down one after the next in key situations to tie or regain the lead.

Toccara Ross finished the game with 16 points and eight rebounds for ISU, and Nicky Wieben finished with 11 points and three boards, going 4-of-8 from the floor and hitting her only three-point try. Senior Lyndsey Medders finished the afternoon with 10 assists, improving her school record to 638. Three players finished in double figures for Kansas State as well, led by Kimberly Dietz with 25 points and Claire Coggins with 21. The K-State pair finished with all 11 Wildcat three-pointers. Ashley Sweat finished with 10 points for Kansas State.

Iowa State shot 48.1 percent for the contest and 38.1 percent from beyond the arc, while KSU shot 43.1 percent and 45.8 percent from long range. The Cyclones outrebounded the Wildcats, 36-28, and had 19 assists to just 10 turnovers.

The Cyclones got their inside game going early, as Wieben and Ross combined for 19 of Iowa State's 36 first half points. ISU led the Wildcats, 36-35, at the intermission. The Cyclones were hot early, going 7-of-9 from the field to get out to a seven-point lead, 16-9, five minutes into the contest. But Kansas State caught fire from outside the arc, hitting three of their next four three-point attempts to take an 18-16 lead. ISU ran off the next six points to expand its lead back to six, but the lead changed hands eight times from that point forward. Ezell hit a trey for ISU with 32 seconds left in the half to give the Cyclones a slight halftime advantage.

Iowa State shot 55.2 percent from the field for the first half, but was just 33.3 percent from long range, while Kansas State shots 43.8 percent from the floor and was 7-of-15 from beyond the arc for 46.7 percent. Medders had seven assists in the first half alone.

The Cyclones return to the road on Wednesday when they face the Nebraska Cornhuskers at 7 p.m. at the Devaney Center in Lincoln, Neb.