Stinging from two consecutive losses and ensconced in a three-way tie for second place in the Big 12, the ISU women countered a week of frustration with a resounding 101-66 thumping of Missouri at Hilton Coliseum Saturday Night.

Megan Taylor stroked three three-pointers in a span of 1:12, and the Cyclones used an early 13-0 run to storm in front of the Tigers, 18-5 at the 13:37 mark.

As the clock crept unmercifully slowly for Missouri, records fell for the Cyclones, who, buoyed by conference leader Oklahoma’s loss to Texas Tech, climbed into a four-way tie for first place at 10-3.

I don’t think anyone could have beaten Iowa State tonight,” Missouri head coach Cindy Stein said. “We just happened to be the lucky ones in the gym.”

The Cyclones connected on a team-record 18 three-point shots, with leading scorer Stacy Frese banishing her mini-slump with five and Taylor pacing the team with six.

Of the 13 Cyclones who played, seven converted three-pointers.

“We were bound to start making them,” Frese said. “We’ve missed so many lately.”

As Iowa State bombed away from long-range, Missouri (16-8, 6-7) clanged open five-footers, fumbling and kicking its way to 12 first half turnovers.

Leading scorer and rebounder Amanda Lassiter simmered at the end of the bench saddled with two early fouls and was held scoreless in the opening half.

“I think we got some good shots, but we just didn’t put them in,” Stein said. “Then it kind of snowballs on you because they’re hitting everything they’re throwing up.”

With the score 24-12, Iowa State struck the Tigers with a knock-out run of 13-2 spurred by steals by Angie Welle and Frese and three-pointers by Frese and Desiree Francis.

At the break, the Cyclones led 46-20.

“After losing two in a row, everybody was kind of tight and frustrated,” Frese said. “To start off that way, I think it really helped us get on a roll.”

Taylor had 16 points with 10:35 remaining in the first half, and joined Francis with five rebounds to give Iowa State a 22-15 halftime edge on the glass.

“It was nice to see them relax and play,” ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said. “The way Megan and Stacy shot it — Megan could have scored God knows how many points if we’d left her in the game.”

After a modest 12-6 Missouri run to open the second half, Iowa State once again caught fire.

Riding another long wave of steals and three-pointers, the Cyclones led 86-47 with 7:33 left to play. Fennelly then pulled the starters for good.

“Missouri just caught us on a bad night,” Fennelly said. “They’re a good team, and they got our AA++ game tonight. We just played that well.”

The third-largest crowd in team history, 13,080, rose to a standing ovation when reserve Holly Bordewyk swished two free throws to push the Cyclones across the rarefied 100-point mark for the first time ever in conference play.

It was Iowa State’s first 100-point game since drubbing tiny Grand View College of Des Moines, 100-82 in 1976.

The Cyclones shot 54 percent for the game, including a dazzling 62.1 percent from three-point range (18-29).

“To go 18 for 29, I don’t think I’ve ever had a team shoot it that well,” Fennelly said.

The Tigers, who shot 24.1 percent in the first half, finished at 39.3 percent.

Taylor led all scorers with 26 points and Frese added 20 for Iowa State.

Five Cyclones reached double-figures, and 11 scored at least three points each.

Center Marlena Williams led Missouri with 16 points and five rebounds.

It was a much-needed tonic for the Cyclones, who handed the Tigers their worst defeat in the series’ 24-year history.

“We’re back where we started,” guard Lindsey Wilson, who had 10 points, said. “We kind of messed up two games, but we’re still in the running, so that feels good.”

Iowa State has games remaining at tenth-place Texas A&M, at home against last-place Baylor and at Big 12 title-contender Texas, who at 9-4 is just one game out of first place.

“Now you’ve got four teams at 10-3 and one team at 9-4,” Fennelly said. “We’re battling for first place and trying to stay out of fifth, I guess. It seems that that’s the way our league is going to be.”

Crucial conference games among ISU’s title-competitors include Texas Tech at Texas, Feb. 23, and Kansas at Oklahoma, Feb. 26.

“Who knows what’s going to happen?” Fennelly said. “There are some big games left and the key is you don’t want to slip. It’s going to be wild down the stretch.”