No. 20 Iowa State defeated Oklahoma State 84-71 in Stillwater on Saturday. Here are some takeaways from the Cyclones’ win.

Scott’s unforgettable night

Sophomore forward Kristin Scott’s game Saturday wasn’t just great, it was historic.

Scott has been an efficient shooter for the Cyclones all season, leading the team in both field goal and 3-point percentage coming into Saturday’s game against Oklahoma State. She may not be the team’s first scoring option, but she has long been a reliable shooter with an ability to stretch the floor.

That ability got her into the starting lineup for the first time in her career last Sunday against Oklahoma. After two relatively quiet games her first two career starts, Scott had her breakout game against the Cowgirls, scoring 31 points on 11-for-11 shooting, including 7-of-7 from three.

As if that weren’t enough, Scott added 12 rebounds and two blocks to her career night as well. 

Going back to Scott’s shooting, however, the 11-for-11 performance was an all-time best in program history in terms of efficiency. The previous record, set by Angie Welle in a performance against Baylor in 2000, was a 10-for-10 shooting night. The 7-for-7 mark from three was the third-most efficient night in school history from beyond the arc.

Needless to say, it’ll be hard for Scott to ever top Saturday’s performance. However, Iowa State will be a problem for any team going forward if it can get consistently high-level play from Scott.

Don’t forget about Middleton

Scott’s performance will rightfully earn the headlines, but what shouldn’t be overlooked is the performance of senior point guard Alexa Middleton.

Like Scott, Middleton also earned a double-double on Saturday night, her first as a Cyclone and the second of her career. Middleton scored 15 points and dished 11 assists, all on 7-of-13 shooting from the field. The only blemish on Middleton’s night was her five turnovers, which marks back-to-back games with at least five turnovers.

Despite the turnovers, Middleton has made steady and noticeable progress offensively as she’s adjusted to life in the Big 12, and she provides a veteran presence outside of Bridget Carleton that the team can turn to. Like Scott, Middleton will be key for the Cyclones down the stretch as teams continue to key-in on Carleton. 

Letting up

While Saturday was mostly positive for the Cyclones, something that coach Bill Fennelly won’t be happy about is the fact that Iowa State allowed Oklahoma State to climb back into the game after having a huge lead. 

After getting out to a 30-point lead in the second quarter and holding a 27-point lead at halftime, the Cowgirls went on a 15-0 run in the third quarter. By the time the onslaught was over, the Cyclones lead was down to only 11. What looked like an easy blowout had suddenly turned into a competitive game.

It’s not uncommon for teams to let their foot off the gas after having a big lead, but for things to turn like that for Iowa State is certainly a concern. Fortunately for the Cyclones, the team was able to get it together and still win by double digits.

It’s not as if this is a recurring theme for Iowa State, so it’s probably too early to say that this is an issue going forward. However, Fennelly will likely get after his players this week for their third quarter effort to ensure it doesn’t happen again.