The ISU women’s basketball team’s late surge in the second half wasn’t enough to overcome a dominating lead held by Kansas State, and the Wildcats claimed the 73-64 victory.

“We dug ourselves into a hole at the beginning,” said ISU center Brittany Wilkins. “We fought back at the end, but we couldn’t get it close enough.”

The loss is Iowa State’s second consecutive loss at home, and only the third time Kansas State has won at Hilton Coliseum.

Kansas State (15-4, 5-3 Big 12) used 10 offensive rebounds in its 37-board game to clinch the power on both sides of the court. Iowa State (12-6, 3-4 Big 12) mustered 29 rebounds total, and only three offensively from Wilkins.

“Offensively on boards we got murdered,” Wilkins said. “When they’re getting second and third offensive rebounds, we might be boxing out but we’re not going to the ball.

“Rebounding is a team thing, and everyone needs to be accountable.”

Only two Cyclone players were in double figures, including another game-leading performance from Lyndsey Medders with 30 points, two shy of her career high. Wilkins chipped in 19, including a 3-pointer in the second half.

Four Kansas State players finished in the double digits, including three freshman starters. Iowa State, in a similar situation depending on freshman abilities, got only nine points from their newcomers.

“With man-to-man defense you can’t point fingers, because if your girl scores it’s your fault,” Medders said. “We need to prove to each other that we can guard someone.”

ISU coach Bill Fennelly said he has no explanations for his team’s sudden downward slide.

“We’re not very good right now, and that is my responsibility,” he said. “We are struggling in a lot of ways, and a lot of things are not working for us.

“We can’t win with two players and no rebounds, not in this league anyway.”

The Wildcats started the game on a scoring frenzy, netting seven unanswered points to open the first half. A 3-pointer and four straight free throws by Medders put the Cyclones ahead by one, but Kansas State was just getting warmed up.

Kansas State then instigated a 21-1 run, only broken by a free throw by ISU forward Lisa Bildeaux. After claiming a 20-point lead, Kansas State kept a comfortable margin through the first half, ending with a 40-27 lead and seven more rebounds.

“We had decent looks at the basket, but sometimes you have to create your own luck by getting rebounds and creating fouls,” Fennelly said. “If you have an open shot, you have to make it.”

Kansas State kept its momentum in the second half with an early 10-0 run, leading by as much as 24. Wilkins and Medders soon changed the pace with back-to-back 3-pointers, and in a matter of minutes the Cyclones were within 11.

That margin decreased further when threes from Heather Ezell and Megan Ronhovde put the Cyclones within eight. Kansas State’s Claire Coggins retaliated with three of her 21 points, and the Cyclones never got back within nine.

Kansas State’s bench depth was an asset, but Medders said the lack of scoring for the Cyclones was no one’s fault but her own.

“It is my job to get my team going, and that responsibility of offense falls on me,” she said. “Now we have to bounce back, and we have to do it on the road.”