Iowa State entered the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday night facing the intense energy Ball State had after upsetting No. 5 Tennessee.

The Cardinals converted that energy to slow down Iowa State in the first half, but Ball State’s defense wasn’t enough to stop the Big 12 opponent in the second half. Iowa State pulled away to a 71-57 victory to earn a trip to the Sweet 16.

Ball State forced eight Iowa State turnovers in the first half, but the Cyclones had only one turnover in the second after the Cardinal defensive effort dwindled to the Big 12 opponent.

Early in the second period the Cyclones went on a 7-0 run that started with a lay-up from senior Nicky Wieben, a trey from Kelsey Bolte and ended with another lay-up by Wieben to extend the lead to seven.

Wieben won the battle in the paint, leading the Cyclones with 18 points and eight rebounds compared to Cardinal post Jade Barber’s 13.

For the second game in a row, the Cyclones scored over 70 points, uncharacteristic for Iowa State. The Cyclones have now hit 26 treys in the first two rounds of the tournament.

Four Cyclones were in double figures, showing just how much of a threat the ISU offense can be in this tournament. Senior Amanda Nisleit ended with a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Bolte was 5-7 from beyond the arc and finished with 16 points for the Cyclone sophomore.

Cardinal guard Porchia Green kept the Cardinals in the game in the first half with 12 points, but finished with just six in the second.

With the victory, the Cyclones advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2001. Iowa State matches up against Michigan State, which upset the No. 1 seed Duke on Tuesday.