Cyclone Comeback Topples No. 23 Iowa, 69-66.

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State women's basketball team (5-3 overall, 0-0 Big 12) took down in-state rival No. 23 Iowa (8-2, 0-0 Big Ten) in a 69-66 thriller at Hilton Coliseum on Friday. Junior Seanna Johnson put up 22 points and 10 rebounds on just 12 shot attempts to lead the way for the Cyclones.

How it Happened…
Facing an early deficit, Iowa State went on an 8-0 run to take a 12-8 lead in the first quarter. During the five-minute stretch, which was sparked by a Kidd Blaskowsky three-pointer, the Cyclones held Iowa to 0-of-9 shooting from the field. The defense held Iowa to just 5-of-20 overall in the quarter, as Iowa State held a 14-12 advantage after 10 minutes of action.

The Hawkeyes would return the favor, putting together a strong second period, led by Alexa Kastenek. Kastenek scored 11 points in the quarter, including a pair of triples. On the other end of the floor, offense was hard to come by as Iowa State was just 4-of-14 in the period and ended the first half shooting 35 percent from the floor. Iowa took a 33-28 lead into the locker room at half time.

Iowa State found a better offensive rhythm in the third quarter, scoring 18 points in the stanza while shooting 50 percent from the field. Freshman Meredith Burkhall provided the spark, scoring seven points in the quarter, including a last-second bucket off a Hail Mary pass from Blaskowsky to cut the Iowa lead to 54-46. Iowa's Ally Disterhoft scored nine in the quarter for the Hawkeyes

The momentum from Burhall's buzzer-beater carried over into the final quarter, as the Cyclones came out on a quick 7-point spurt and cut the lead to 54-53 on a pair of free throws by Johnson. Iowa State eventually capped a 14-1 run with back-to-back buckets inside by Johnson and Bridget Carleton, giving the Cyclones a brief 57-55 lead with just over four minutes to play.

The final minutes proved to be a battle, as Buckley splashed home a three with 3:43 to play, giving the Cyclones a 2-point lead that would last for all of eight seconds until Kasanek answered in kind to give Iowa a 61-60 advantage. The Cyclones then ran off seven-straight points, including five from Johnson. The Brooklyn Park, Minn, native, put Iowa State up 67-61 with 1:17 to play on an and-1 inside.

Iowa would score five-straight to cut the ISU lead 67-66, but a potential game-tying free throw by Disterhoft rattled out with 6.6 seconds remaining. The Hawkeyes would send Johnson to the charity straight, and the junior converted on both. Disterhoft's last-second attempt would fall short, and the Cyclones held on for the 69-66 victory.

Cyclone Game Ball Goes to...
Seanna Johnson. The junior put up 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 10 rebounds and five assists. Johnson was unbelievable in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 of Iowa State's 18 final, including the Cyclones' final seven to seal the win.

Cyclone Quick Hits
*Iowa State has won its last 10 home games vs. Iowa, all of which came under Bill Fennelly.
*ISU blocked a season-high nine shots.
*Seanna Johnson reached double-figure scoring for the 44th time in her career. She also had the 20^th double-double of her career.
*It was the fifth 20-point game of Johnson's career.
*Bridget Carleton blocked a career-high four shots.
*Jadda Buckley recorded the 16^th game of her career with 5+ assists. It was the 26^th double-digit scoring effort of her career.
*Emily Durr recorded a career-high four assists.
*Buckley scored in double figures for the 25th time in her career.

Up Next
Iowa State will be back in Hilton Coliseum on Sunday, Dec. 13 to face Arkansas-Pine Bluff at noon. Television coverage for the game can be found on Cyclones.tv.

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Team Stats

Seanna Johnson

Meredith Burkhall

Jadda Buckley

Bridget Carleton

Players Mentioned

Jadda Buckley

Bridget Carleton

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics