Iowa State University Athletics
Iowa State
3-0
Creighton
0-3
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State | 29 | 34 | 63 |
| Creighton | 29 | 30 | 59 |
Cyclones Escape with 63-59 Win at Creighton
11.23.2008 | Women's Basketball
OMAHA, Neb. ? Junior Alison Lacey knocked down a pair of free throws with 2.7 seconds left to clinch the win as the Iowa State women's basketball team pulled out a 63-59 victory over Creighton Sunday at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
The Cyclones (3-0) shot 46.2 percent in the second half and just 40 percent for the contest. Creighton shot 37.8 percent for the game, and hit 80 percent (20-25) from the charity stripe. For the third straight game, Iowa State outrebounded its opponent, winning the battle of the boards, 41-27.
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Senior Nicky Wieben scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Cyclones. Kelsey Bolte finished with a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Lacey closed out the game with 10 points and five assists. Creighton had three players with 14 points or more, while being led by Chevelle Herring's 24 points.
The score was tied at 29-all heading into the locker room. The Cyclones got off to a good start, jumping out to a 13-5 lead over the first eight minutes. Iowa State went inside with ease early as Wieben scored six straight points for ISU. Freshman Ashley Arlen hit a three from the top of the key to give the Cyclones the eight point advantage. ISU's defense was solid early as well, as Creighton went 1-for-8 and 0-for-4 from three-point range over the first five minutes.
From there on out, however, the Cyclones got in foul trouble, sending the Bluejays to the charity stripe 14 times in the first half, where they hit 13. Iowa State had trouble stopping Herring, as the guard hit a field goal and a pair of free throws to cut the margin, 15-11, and Ankeny, Iowa, native Kristina Voss hit a shot to cut it further to 15-13.
Toccara Ross knocked down two free throws to extend ISU's lead 18-13, which was the largest margin the rest of the half. Voss hit four straight at the charity stripe to give CU a 20-19 lead with five minutes to go in the half. ISU's Amanda Nisleit got a traditional three-point play with 29 seconds remaining, but Creighton wound the clock down and Herring bombed a three to send the teams to halftime locked at 29 apiece.
The Cyclones went back to Wieben to start the second period, as she scored eight points in Iowa State's 13-6 run to open the lead back up to seven, 42-35. Bolte hit a three to cap the run with 15:31 to go in the game.
Creighton cut the margin to four, 42-38, on free throws by Voss, and was able to keep the lead between two and four points over the next few minutes. Jocelyn Anderson scored to give the Cyclones a 50-44 advantage.
Megan Neuvirth hit a field goal to put CU ahead 53-52 with 7:02 to go. Heather Ezell took the ball all the way to the basket to give ISU back the lead and Wieben hit a free throw to make the ISU margin two, 55-53. But Creighton went back to its hot hand and Herring hit a free throw and then nailed a three-pointer to tie the game at 57-all with 3:59 to go.
After a 59-59 tie, Ezell hit one free throw and Bolte hit one more to give ISU a 61-59 advantage. Herring took it took the hoop with just under 10 seconds to go, but the ball rolled round the rim and fell out. Wieben grabbed the rebound. She missed the front end of the one-and-one, but Toccara Ross fouled Neuvirth on the miss and sent her to the line, where she missed. The Cyclones recovered the rebound and Lacey knocked down the final two free throws to clinch the Cyclone win.
The Cyclones will travel next to Honolulu, Hawaii, where they will face three teams in three days in the Waikiki Marriott Beach Class. Iowa State will take on Prairie View A&M Friday at 3 p.m. (CT), eighth-ranked Stanford on Saturday at 7:20 p.m. (CT) and San Diego State Sunday at 3 p.m. (CT). ISU will return to the state of Iowa only to hit the road to Iowa City for the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series Dec. 7.
