For the first time in conference play, one particular mark in the ISU scoring column wasn’t absurdly lopsided.

Over the past three games, Alison Lacey stole the show on offense for the Cyclones, pouring in 24.7 points per game while only once did another player score in double digits. On every occasion, Lacey more than doubled the next highest scorer for the Cyclones.

The offense still didn’t light up the scoreboard on Wednesday night, but a balanced attack and another strong defensive showing propelled the No. 21 Cyclones (14–3, 2–2 Big 12) to a 53–42 win over Kansas at Hilton Coliseum.

“I would say that was our most balanced team effort offensively,” said ISU coach Bill Fennelly. “We made shots when we needed it, and I think that transferred to how we played defensively because everyone was involved in our defense too.”

Lacey still led Iowa State with 13 against the Jayhawks, but she was complimented by 10 points from Denae Stuckey, along with seven apiece from freshmen Anna Prins and Amanda Zimmerman. Stuckey added a team-high seven rebounds in the process.

While the offense was making strides, Iowa State showed why they are currently the Big 12’s top-ranked defense, holding Kansas (11–6, 1–3) a full 30 points below their season scoring average.

With the exception of an easy bucket for the Jayhawks in the game’s waning seconds, the Cyclones had held their opponents scoreless for the final seven minutes of the game.

“We just had to execute and do the little things that we were taught,” Stuckey said. “We had to make their shooters work to put the ball in the basket instead of just jump-shooting, and we had to force them to dribble the ball and play help defense. We played them exactly as we had planned in the scouting report.”

The Cyclones’ swarming zone defense successfully stifled Kansas guard Danielle McCray, who was second in the conference in scoring entering the game with 20.9 points per game. The senior was held scoreless before halftime and was limited to just six points in the second half.

“Every time I caught the ball there were two or three people around me, especially Denae,” McCray said. “I need to do much better, but they were right there just about every time I got the ball.”

It took a late 10–0 run by the Cyclones to pull away from the pesky Jayhawks, who had clawed their way back to within three with seven minutes remaining.

But a steal and two lay-ups in consecutive possessions by Stuckey and a lay-in by Chelsea Poppens turned the tables on Kansas, sparking the well-known Hilton atmosphere that had been absent throughout most of the lackluster game.

Iowa State will hit the road once again this weekend, as they head south for an afternoon tilt with the No. 23 Texas Longhorns (13–5, 2–2) at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Against an offense as good as Texas — scoring 78.9 points per game — Iowa State will need to find that balanced attack again to run with the Longhorns in Austin.

“We didn’t score a lot of points but everyone contributed,” Fennelly said. “KU’s defense did a great job on [Lacey], so someone else had to score and luckily tonight we got enough baskets from a couple of other people to survive.”