Iowa State Women Rout Lowly Jayhawks for First Big 12 Win

The Iowa State women (10-5, 1-3) soundly defeated the Kansas Jayhawks 87-58 at Hilton Coliseum on Sunday afternoon for their first win of the Big 12 season.

Five Cyclones scored in double figures. Bridget Carleton led the way with 21 points, Heather Bowe had 16, Seanna Johnson scored 15, Emily Durr came off the bench for 14, and Jadda Buckley added 13 points. With 10 rebounds, Bowe showed she can contribute on the boards along with Johnson.

Iowa State and Kansas struggled to score early in the game, and Meredith Burkhall was pulled in favor of Heather Bowe under two minutes into the game. With 7:08 left in the 1st quarter, Johnson got the Cyclones’ first field goal, but Kansas was right behind with a bucket of their own.

After that, it was all Iowa State the rest of the quarter - and the rest of the game. The Cyclones forced 10 KU turnovers in the 1st quarter, and although Iowa State shot just 4-12 from the floor, nine free throws gave Iowa State an 18-4 advantage after 10 minutes.

The Cyclones had a three-minute scoring drought in the 2nd quarter that helped the Jayhawks get as close as 12 points, but the outcome was never really in question. Iowa State got a hook shot from Burkhall, and Buckley made a three-pointer for a 25-8 lead. Bowe got going in the 2nd quarter, and she finished the half with nine points and six rebounds. Buckley scored all her 13 points in the first 20 minutes, and Carleton made three free throws at the end of the half to give Iowa State a 43-19 lead.

Bowe started in place of Burkhall in the 3rd quarter, and the graduate transfer got the scoring started for the Cyclones as well, but a few turnovers allowed the Jayhawks to go on a 6-0 run early in the 3rd. Iowa State was unfazed, and the Cyclones maintained their 20+ point lead throughout the quarter, eventually going into the 4th ahead 69-39.

Iowa State extended its margin in the 4th until the bench was cleared and the Cyclones coasted to the victory.

The Cyclones take on the Oklahoma Sooners in a vital home game on Wednesday at 7pm. The game is available on Cyclones.tv.