Daily Staff

Defense was the key to the Iowa State women’s basketball 67-25 victory over Lafayette on Sunday, Jan. 3 at Hilton Coliseum. Allowing just 25 points, the Cyclones held the Leopards to a school-record low in points scored by an opponent against Iowa State.

Sophomore guard Whitney Williams and freshman guard Jessica Schroll each had two steals on the night while senior point guard Alison Lacey led the defensive frenzy with three steals.

The Leopards committed 21 turnovers on the night and shot a dismal 23.3 percent from the field. Not a single Lafayette player scored in the double digits, the Leopard’s leading scorer, LaKeisha Wright posting just seven.

Freshman post Chelsea Poppens grabbed her second double-double of her career with 11 rebounds and 22 points, leading in both categories for Iowa State. In the paint, the Cyclones out-scored Lafayette 34-10 and out-rebounded the Leopards 46-23.

The defensive shutdown was evident from the beginning, as the Cyclones allowed Lafayette just 14 points in the first half, and an even lower 11 points in the second. The win gives Iowa State its tenth-straight victory of the season and the Cyclones improve to 11-1.

Iowa State will face South Dakota State on Tuesday night at Hilton Coliseum for its final game of the non conference season.