The ISU women’s basketball team met its match for just the second time all season on Friday night, when they lost 69-61 at the hands of the Minnesota Golden-Gophers.

Despite running step-for-step with the Gophers in the stat column, the Cyclones were never able to grab the lead at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, falling to 8-2 on the season while the Gophers improved to 9-3.

Minnesota grabbed a narrow lead in shooting percentage (.431-.412) and rebounds (36-32), while the Cyclones shot .478 (11-23) from the three-point line.

Iowa State got as close as one at 53-52, but Minnesota responded with an 8-0 run to pull away in the latter stages of the second half.

Guards Alison Lacey and Heather Ezell shot a combined 9-17 from behind the arc, and scored 37 of the Cyclones’ 61 points, with 21 and 16, respectively.