The ISU women’s basketball team’s opening-round victory was a tale of two halves.

The Cyclones went into halftime trailing the Yellow Jackets, 24-20.

The numbers told the story.

They turned the ball over more than 12 times, including one per minute in the first nine minutes. When Iowa State held on to the ball, it shot a shaky 38 percent. The Cyclones’ 3-pointers – their bread and butter all season – weren’t falling, either, with only 2 of 11 made at halftime. Had the Yellow Jackets not been shooting only 10 of 37 from the floor, the Cyclones could have been in danger of being out of the game by that point.

“We told them at the halftime that we need to take care of the ball and just keep shooting it – keep shooting,” said coach Bill Fennelly. “I felt that if we kept guarding and change our press break [we could be successful]”

The Cyclones returned from the break in scorching fashion. Freshman Kelsey Bolte had just four points in the first half but ended up with 19, thanks to five second-half 3-pointers.

“In the first half I was kind of nervous, and my teammates in the locker room were telling me to keep shooting it,” Bolte said. “And, obviously, the crowd had a lot to do with it too – it builds the confidence.”

After the Cyclones switched their press break at halftime, they set up their shooters for the open looks they lacked before.

Bolte and Amanda Nisleit took turns in a streak of three 3-pointers to start the second half and catapult the Cyclones to a 29-27 lead. That lead would never be relinquished.

Fennelly’s halftime words to his team came to life in the second half.

“He told us to keep shooting,” said Nisleit, who put together a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. “We knew we had to take care of the ball, and as we handled the press better, we got opportunities at open shots.”

Offensively, the second half was glaring daylight compared to the night of the first half. The Cyclones shot 50 percent in the second, going 7-of-13 from downtown. They committed only six turnovers – half their first-half fumbles – and scored 38 points, almost doubling their first-half total.

“We’ve been sitting in the hotel for two days watching what March is all about,” Fennelly said. “And, certainly, this was one of those games. This is what the NCAA is all about.”