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Women's Basketball
UW-Oshkosh (Ex.)
Iowa State University Athletics
Sunday, November 25
Nashville, Tenn.
2:00 PM
Iowa State University
53
at
62
Vanderbilt
Cyclones Drop First Road Test, 62-53, at No. 19 Vandy
11.25.2007 | Women's Basketball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? The Iowa State women's basketball team fell at 19th-ranked Vanderbilt, 62-53, Sunday afternoon at Memorial Gymnasium in the championship game of the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament.
The Cyclones lost for the first time this season, dropping to 3-1 on the year, in their first true road test, while Vanderbilt improved to 5-1. Iowa State defeated Michigan, 67-43 in the first round of the tournament on a neutral court Friday. ISU will try again to earn its 500th win in program history on Friday when it plays host to Montana State at Hilton Coliseum.
Junior Nicky Wieben and sophomore Alison Lacey were named to the all-tournament team for Iowa State. Wieben led the Cyclones with 15 points and nine rebounds against Vanderbilt, and Lacey had a career-high 35 points while draining nine threes in the win over Michigan.
Junior Heather Ezell also finished with 10.points. Iowa State struggled against Vandy's defensive pressure, committing 18 turnovers on the afternoon, while passing out just five assists. ISU shot 38.3 percent from the field for the contest, while Vanderbilt hit 45.3 percent. Lauren Lueders led VU with 14 points, and four different players finished in double digits for the Commodores. The Cyclones had a slight 31-30 advantage on the glass.
After trailing just 29-23 at the half, Iowa State was able to cut Vanderbilt's lead to two, 35-33, on a three-point field goal by Ezell with 15:28 to go in the game. The Commodores answered however, with five straight points, to extend their lead back to seven, 40-33. Iowa State got as close as six, 43-37, with 11:48 to go, but Vanderbilt continued to build its lead.
Wieben hit a trey with 41 seconds left, to cut the advantage to seven, 58-51, but the Cyclones had to continue fouling and Vanderbilt knocked down the free throws to earn the victory.
The Cyclones began the game by hitting a three-pointer by Ezell, but Vanderbilt quickly answered and the lead changed five times over the first 10 minutes of the first half. Iowa State trailed 4-3, the first time of the season the Cyclones found themselves behind on the scoreboard.
After ISU took an 11-7 lead off a Kelsey Bolte trey, the Commodores went on an 11-0 run to earn an 18-11 advantage. Toccara Ross knocked down another three-pointer to cut the VU lead to four. Vanderbilt got up by as many as seven, twice, but the Cyclones sliced it to three points, 26-23, with 4:07 to go off free throws by Wieben, but Lueders hit a three-pointer to extend the Commodore lead, 29-23, going into the lockerroom.
Iowa State shot 30.8 percent in the opening 20 minutes, while Vanderbilt hit 44.4 percent from the floor. The Commodores forced Iowa State into 11 first half turnovers, but ISU outrebounded VU, 19-14.
Iowa State will return home to face Montana State at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, at Hilton Coliseum. For tickets, go to Cyclones.com or call 1-888-478-2925 (toll free) or 515-294-1816.
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