WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Late surge helps Cyclones upset No. 21 Oklahoma State

Senior forward Nicky Wieben scores one of her 23 points against Oklahoma State on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009, at Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones defeated the Cowboys 63-55. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily

Josh Harrell

Senior forward Nicky Wieben scores one of her 23 points against Oklahoma State on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009, at Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones defeated the Cowboys 63-55. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily

Nate Sandell

With the help of a 13-0 run in the last three minutes of the game, Iowa State (13-2) upset No. 21 Oklahoma State (11-3) 63-55 in the Cyclones’ opening game of the Big 12 season.

Despite trailing by 11 points at the start of the second half, the Cyclones clawed back to tie the game, 41-41, at the ten minute mark. The two teams traded points before Iowa State guard Heather Ezell’s 3-pointer with 1:55 minutes left put the Cyclones up by three, starting the team on their late-game run.

After starting the game scoring the team’s first 12 points, senior Nicky Wieben went on to tally 23 points – one point shy of her career high.

Wieben wasn’t the only one putting up career numbers.

Amanda Nisleit pulled down 15 rebounds, outdoing her career high by three. Nisleit added 12 points, all of which came in the second half, as the senior forward recorded her second double-double of her career.

Oklahoma State’s Andrea Riley, who came into the game averaging 21.5 points per game, scored 32 points.