🏀 K-State Women drop Big 12 opener at Iowa State

AMES, Iowa – K-State registered a hot shooting performance from beyond the arc in the first half, but Iowa State overcame a halftime deficit to register a 91-69 win on Friday night at Hilton Coliseum.

The first quarter saw six ties and one lead change, as neither team took a lead larger than three points in the first 10 minutes. Ayoka Lee and Christianna Carr each tallied six points in the opening frame.

Lee ended the night with her third straight game with 20 or more points, scoring a team-high 20 points and a career-high three assists. Carr reached double figures for the sixth time this season with 11 points and five assists.

Iowa State (5-3, 2-0 Big 12) held an 18-16 lead entering the second quarter but the teams were tied five times and exchanged the lead three times in the second stanza. 

K-State (5-3, 0-1) knocked down five 3-pointers from four different players in the second quarter. Laura Macke buried a 3-pointer with 53 seconds remaining to give the Wildcats a 37-34 lead. 

The Cyclones knocked down a three-pointer of their own to square the game at 37. K-State took the lead at halftime as Sydney Goodson made her second 3-pointer of the quarter to give the Wildcats a 40-37 lead. K-State was 7-of-15 from three-point range in the first 20 minutes.

The Cyclones went on a 14-3 run in the third quarter to take its largest lead of the night, 53-47, with 4:50 to play. The Wildcats held a five-point advantage, 44-39, after a pair of free throws from Lee before the Iowa State rally.

Iowa State would outscore K-State, 26-13, in the third quarter to hold a 63-53 lead entering the fourth quarter.

The Cyclones made its first five 3-pointers to begin the fourth quarter and scored 17 points in the first three- and a half minutes to build an 80-59 lead with 6:42 remaining.

K-State finished the game shooting 49.1 percent (26-of-53) from the field including 40.9 percent (9-of-22) from beyond the arc. Iowa State shot 50.0 percent (32-of-64) which was boosted by a 63.3 percent effort in the second half.

K-State ends the 2020 portion of its schedule on Monday at 7 p.m., as the Wildcats host (22/22) Texas. Monday's game will be limited to 15% capacity. A limited number of single-game tickets are available by calling (800) 221-CATS or online at kstatesports.com,

Monday's game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. The game will also be available on the K-State Sports Network and for free at kstatesports.com.