Ezell Fires Up 99-45 ISU Win Over Sacramento State

AMES, Iowa ? Junior Heather Ezell tied Big 12 Conference and Iowa State school records with 10 three-pointers as she led the Cyclones to a 99-45 win over Sacramento State Sunday afternoon at Hilton Coliseum. With the win, Iowa State improves to 2-0 on the year, while the Hornets drop to 0-3 on the season.

Ezell was on fire from the start, dropping in seven treys in the first half, and finishing 10-of-15 from beyond the arc and 11-for-17 from the field. She set a new career high with 32 points to lead all scorers. Nicky Wieben was ISU's second leading scorer with 12 points, while all players who entered the game for the Cyclones contributed points. Jocelyn Anderson led Iowa State on the glass with nine rebounds and four blocked shots, while Alison Lacey passed out seven assists.

“Heather had one of those nights that all athletes dream about,” head coach Bill Fennelly said. “She shot it great, which was great for her because she was coming off a game where she was 1-for-10 and I thought our kids did a good job finding her against the zone.”

Ezell led a barrage of three-point shooting for the Cyclones, as Iowa State finished with 17 treys in the contest, one shy of the school record. Freshman Kelsey Bolte tossed in three from long range, while Lacey had a pair as well.

The Cyclones got the offense flowing in the second half, jumping out to a 36-point lead seven minutes into the period, 71-35, on Ezell's final three which tied Stacy Frese's ISU single-game record set in 1999. The Iowa State defense also put on a strong showing in final 20 minutes, holding the Hornets to just 17 second-half points.

“I didn't know I (broke the record) until after the game,” Ezell said. “It's a good feeling. It's not all about records though, I'm just glad we got the win. Compared to last week, going 0-for-7 (from three-point range), it felt a lot better. I had to redeem myself, and I was able to knock them down.”

The Cyclones went to the lockerroom with a 45-28 lead, behind 23 first-half points by Ezell. She was 8-for-13 from the floor and 7-of-11 from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes.

The Cyclones shot 45.7 percent from the floor in the first half, thanks mostly to Ezell and Wieben's 4-of-5 performance. Iowa State struggled to get an offensive flow with Lacey on the bench most of the half due to foul trouble. The Cyclone defense, however, forced Sacramento State into 11 first-half turnovers and held the Hornets without a field goal over a six-minute span, taking a 27-10 advantage with eight and a half minutes to go.

Iowa State shot 52.2 percent from the field for the contest and 47.2 percent from beyond the arc. The Cyclones outrebounded Sacramento State, 46-22, and committed just nine turnovers, while forcing 21 by the Hornets. ISU also had 28 assists on 36 field goals for the contest.

The Cyclones hit the road next week for the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament. Iowa State will play Michigan at 3 p.m. Friday in Nashville, Tenn. They will then play either Belmont or Vanderbilt in the second round on Sunday.

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Team Stats

Heather Ezell

Nicky Wieben

Kelsey Bolte

Amanda Nisleit

Players Mentioned

Jocelyn Anderson

Kelsey Bolte

Heather Ezell

Heather Ezell

Alison Lacey

Alison Lacey

Nicky Wieben

Nicky Wieben

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics