An explosion of three-pointers in the second half carried the Cyclones to a 79-59 win over Oklahoma State on Wednesday, giving the team three straight wins.

Despite the win, Iowa State (16-5, 4-3 Big 12) faced opposition from Oklahoma State (13-7, 1-6), mostly in the form of the Cowgirls’ nine offensive rebounds. Oklahoma State’s forceful defense also earned 16 fouls in the first half.

“They were playing really aggressive in the first half,” said senior Kelsey Bolte. “We were in the one-and-one with 14 minutes in the [first half] and we just took advantage of that and kept benefiting from their aggressive play.”

For the Cyclones, the first half of the game was marked by a balanced attack from their offense, which included five three-pointers. The team shot 50 percent for both field goals and behind the arc.

The Cyclones have struggled with an equal spread of scoring in the Big 12 season, with the primary scorer being Kelsey Bolte. Bolte had 12 points the first half, but three other Cyclones helped her out with seven points each.

“Bolte has carried us a long time and now the other people are learning their roles,” said coach Bill Fennelly. “We’re finding other people to step into their roles and makes some baskets.”

In the second half, the Cyclones started to find opportunities for three-pointers during transitions. The team had six three-pointers in the first eight minutes of the half, coming from four different players.

“It just seemed like [the three-pointers] came at really, really good times for our team,” Fennelly said. “Not just at a good time in the game, but good time for the spirit and mood of the person who shot them.”

Freshman Hallie Christofferson contributed six of the Cyclones’ 33 second-half points from the arc and contributed a total of 15 points and four assists.

Her effort and progression this season hasn’t gone unnoticed by Fennelly.

“She was the best post player on our team tonight,” Fennelly said. “She’s efficient, we make her guard, and she can shoot the three.”

The Cyclones ended the second half shooting 60 percent from behind the arc, as opposed to Oklahoma State who hit just 12.5 percent of its second-half three-pointers.

The Cyclones will next face Oklahoma at 12:30 p.m. Saturday in Norman, Okla.