It looks like there’s a little magic left in Hilton and a lot of fight left in Iowa State after all.

Coming off “the single worst week . all of us have experienced” according to Lindsey Wilson, the Cyclones answered critics by thumping the No. 3 team in the nation, Oklahoma, 82-66 Tuesday night.

Angie Welle looked as dominant as ever shooting 10 of 11; her only miss was a three-point try. She scored 28 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked two shots as the Cyclones showed their old swagger in beating Oklahoma for the eighth straight time.

“I think we were all a little pissed off at ourselves,” Wilson said.

Iowa State had reason to be angry, after losing two games in a week to Texas and Texas A&M. Suddenly the Cyclones plummeted from No. 4 to No. 14 in the rankings, and the season appeared to be on the brink.

“I think all of us feel like we’re back on track,” Wilson said. “Whatever was missing in Texas we got back.”

Hilton Coliseum’s 11,148 fans didn’t hurt the Cyclone effort.

“When we came running out for our warm-up, I heard some fan up in the stands and they said `Welcome home, we’re here to help you,'” Welle said. “I almost started crying. I don’t know if I’ve ever been so happy in my four years just . to be home.”

Iowa State played with Oklahoma, sustaining any runs the Sooners made and took the lead into halftime, 34-31.

“Whatever we say, whatever the fans say,” ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said. “I don’t think there’s anybody that came into this building tonight that didn’t have a little bit of doubt in their mind of what was going to happen to our team. I think at halftime the doubt was gone.”

The Cyclones started the second half with the confidence not often shown by a 1-3 Big 12 team. It was freshman Tracy Paustian who led the charge.

Paustian nailed two three-pointers in a critical 11-0 run to start the half and left the Sooners reeling the rest of the way.

Tracy Gahan also drilled key threes as Iowa State outscored the Sooners 48-35 in the second half.

Paustian finished with six points, Gahan a season-high 25.

“They made shots and we didn’t,” Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. “They played hungry, they played inspired, they played like they were on a mission.”

When the Cyclones started to drain outside shots (29-of-52, 8-of-21 three-point shooting), it left Welle inside with only one person guarding her. Led by Welle, Iowa State shot 78 percent in the second half.

“Angie one-on-one in the post is pretty much unstoppable,” Wilson said.

Whenever the Sooners made a run at the Cyclones, Iowa State always answered.

LaNeisha Caufield, who led the Sooners with 24 points, scored 12 straight for Oklahoma at one point, but Gahan, Welle and Wilson all hit shots to make sure Oklahoma never pulled within single digits.

Iowa State also held reigning Big 12 Player of the Year Stacey Dales to 13 points and Rosalind Ross to two points.

The loss snapped Oklahoma’s 18-game conference win streak. The last Big 12 opponent to beat the Sooners – Iowa State, on Jan. 6, 2001.

“Sometimes you let the other guy screw up,” Coale said. “I think that’s what [Iowa State] did tonight.”

Oklahoma dropped to 4-1 in the Big 12, 14-2 overall while Iowa State improved to 2-3 in the conference and 14-3 overall.

The Cyclones must turn around and do it again on Saturday when No. 15 Texas Tech is in town.

“Let’s not make this the highlight of our season,” Fennelly said.

It’s certainly something nice to dwell on.

No. 14 IOWA ST. 82, No. 3 OKLAHOMA 66

OKLAHOMA (14-2)

Hill 5-9 4-4 17, Talbert 3-8 0-0 6, Caufield 11-20 1-2 24, Dales 6-17 1-2 13, Ross 1-9 0-1 2, Simon 0-1 0-0 0, Shoush 0-0 0-0 0, Jackson 2-6 0-0 4, Selmon 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-70 6-9 66.

IOWA ST. (14-3)

Gahan 8-13 5-7 25, Bremer 1-4 1-2 3, Welle 10-11 8-9 28, Wilson 6-10 2-6 16, Paustian 2-9 0-0 6, Fox 0-0 0-0 0, Cizek 0-1 0-0 0, Cofield 2-4 0-1 4, Kriener 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-52 16-25 82.

Halftime-Iowa St. 34, Oklahoma 31. 3-Point goals-Oklahoma 4-20 (Hill 3-5, Caufield 1-4, Simon 0-1, Jackson 0-1, Dales 0-3, Ross 0-6), Iowa St. 8-21 (Gahan 4-8, Wilson 2-3, Paustian 2-7, Bremer 0-1, Welle 0-1, Cofield 0-1). Fouled out-Welle, Hill. Rebounds-Oklahoma 34 (Caufield 9), Iowa St. 39 (Gahan, Bremer, Welle 9). Assists-Oklahoma 17 (Caufield 4), Iowa St. 23 (Wilson 7). Total fouls-Oklahoma 25, Iowa St. 16. Technical-Oklahoma bench. A-11,148.