Cyclones Dominate Baylor in Top 20 Matchup

AMES, Iowa – The 17th-ranked Iowa State women's basketball team was red hot, winning its “Pink Zone” contest over 15th-ranked Baylor, 69-45, Saturday afternoon at Hilton Coliseum. Iowa State snapped a six-game losing streak to the Lady Bears and improved to 19-4 overall this season and 7-3 in the Big 12.

The Cyclones have now won seven of their last eight, its best stretch in Big 12 Conference action since going 10-1 to open the 2001-02 conference slate. It was also ISU's third consecutive win over teams ranked in the Top 25, the first time since the 2006-07 season ISU has done so.

The entire Iowa State team contributed to the win as the Cyclones tallied 16 three-pointers, including five players with at least three treys each. The ISU defense also held its third straight opponent to its season-low scoring total. Four ISU players finished in double figures, led by Amanda Zimmerman's career-high 15 points. Kelsey Bolte poured in 14 points and six rebounds, while Alison Lacey posted her seventh double-double of the season, in addition to her triple double, with 11 points and 10 assists. Anna Prins scored 13 points, while Chelsea Poppens pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds.

The Cyclones shot 41.7 percent from the field and 48.5 percent from beyond the arc. Iowa State held Baylor to 32.7 percent shooting from the floor and 25 percent from long range. BU's leading scorer, freshman Brittney Griner, was held to just 10 points and seven rebounds after posting triple-doubles in each of the last two games.

The Cyclones jumped out to a 23-5 lead just five and a half minutes into the contest. ISU went 5-of-6 from beyond the arc and 8-for-10 from the field to open the game, while holding Baylor to 2-of-11 shooting to start.

Prins got the storm started scoring eight of ISU's first 13 points, including a pair of three-pointers over the first four minutes. Zimmerman stepped out and drained her second trey of the game after a pair of BU scores to push ISU ahead 26-10. After a pair of Griner free throws, two of her four points in the half, Iowa State answered with a 9-2 run, including two Bolte treys, to take a 35-14 advantage. Whitney Williams nailed a three-pointer with the shot clock expiring to give ISU a 38-18 halftime margin.

The Cyclones were 10-of-20 from beyond the arc over the first 20 minutes, the third time this season they have knocked down 10 long-range bombs by halftime. ISU shot 42.4 percent from the field, with only four of its field goals coming from inside the arc. The ISU defense held Baylor to 25 percent shooting from the floor and a 3-for-8 effort from outside. Iowa State outrebounded Baylor, 21-16, in the first frame.

Iowa State didn't cool down from outside to start the second half, hitting five treys over the first nine minutes to take a 56-26 lead. Prins drained the first triple of the second half and Williams followed along hitting two more from outside. Iowa State took its largest lead of the game off Zimmerman's third three-pointer of the contest to put the Cyclones up 63-32. Baylor answered with nine straight points to cut the lead to 22, the closest the Lady Bears would get the rest of the way.

Iowa State will face its next ranked opponent on Wednesday when the Cyclones travel to Lincoln, Neb., to take on third-ranked Nebraska at 7 p.m.

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Team Stats

Amanda Zimmerman

Kelsey Bolte

Anna Prins

Alison Lacey

Players Mentioned

Kelsey Bolte

Kelsey Bolte

Kelsey Bolte

Alison Lacey

Alison Lacey

Chelsea Poppens

Chelsea Poppens

Anna Prins

Anna Prins

Whitney Williams

Whitney Williams

Amanda Zimmerman

Amanda Zimmerman

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics