When the ISU women’s basketball team was staring a 0-2 Big 12 start in the face Sunday at Colorado, sophomore Alison Lacey decided to kick her game into gear.

The Cyclones (12-3, 1-1 Big 12) trailed the 23rd-ranked Buffaloes (12-3, 1-1) 74-69 early in the second overtime of the game in Boulder, but Lacey brought Iowa State back by scoring 11 of the last 18 points of the game to the lead the team to an 84-77 victory.

Lacey hit three 3-pointers in the final period, including one that gave the Cyclones the lead for good, at 80-77, with less than two minutes to go. Lacey and junior Heather Ezell were able to salt the game away after that, hitting four straight free throws.

Iowa State, however, was able to bounce right back, going on an 18-4 run, with freshman Kelsey Bolte scoring six of her 21 points during it. Ezell gave the Cyclones their first lead of the half at 55-54 and, after the two teams traded buckets several times, Ajia Putnina sent the game to overtime tied at 61 with two free throws in the last ten seconds.

Lacey scored 25 points, hitting seven 3-pointers, and dished out eight assists as well. Wieben finished the game with her first double-double of the season and the fifth of her career with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Ezell chipped in 11 points, hitting three of Iowa State’s 14 3-pointers in the game. McFarland scored a game-high 28 points for the Buffaloes.

The victory is the first one over a ranked team on the road since the 2001-2002 season.

Cyclones fall short

Iowa State opened Big 12 play Wednesday with the tall task of defeating the sixth-ranked, conference-favorite Oklahoma Sooners and reigning National Player of the Year Courtney Paris.

Sophomore point guard Alison Lacey had an off-balance three go in and out at the buzzer, and the Cyclones lost, 67-64.

The Cyclones were able to slow Paris down to a point that she had not seen all season, only conceding 12 points and 15 rebounds to her. When Paris went to the bench with her fourth foul with just over 10 minutes to go in the game, the Cyclones led, 44-41.

However, Paris’ twin sister Ashley and freshman point guard Danielle Robinson, who had 23 points in the game, led Oklahoma on a 14-2 run.

The Cyclones trailed by 10 with under four minutes to go but were able to go on an 11-0 run to take a 61-60 lead with less than a minute remaining. Oklahoma was able to hit seven of eight free throws down the stretch, compared to four of six for Iowa State.

Freshman Kelsey Bolte was able to lead the Cyclones back into the game at several points by scoring a career-high 23 points.

Ross out for the season

The Cyclones did receive some bad news on the injury front over the semester break. Iowa State’s lone senior Toccara Ross went down in a heap just before halftime in an Iowa State loss to Minnesota on Dec. 21.

Less than a week later, the team found out that Ross had torn her anterior cruciate ligament and is out for the season. Ross had surgery on Jan. 9 and may be eligible for a medical redshirt, but that is still pending.

Cyclone Classic champions

Iowa State won three games in three days to take the tournament championship in its own tournament, the American Family Insurance Cyclone Shoot-Out.

The Cyclones defeated Bowling Green, 74-57, Tennessee-Martin, 63-39, and Hampton, 66-47 to finish out their non-conference schedule at 11-2.

Lacey was tournament MVP, scoring in double figures in each game, while junior Amanda Nisleit averaged in double figures for the weekend and joined Lacey on the all-tournament team.