Iowa State decided to bring in the new year with a 3-point shooting explosion.

The Cyclones’ Big 12 opener on Wednesday night started off like many games this season before it, with a slow beginning. But the night ended with No. 25 Iowa State using a strong second quarter and absurd 3-point shooting to blow away Kansas State, 96-58.

The 38-point margin was the largest in series history. 

Before Wednesday’s game against the Wildcats, Cyclones coach Bill Fennelly said Iowa State needed to improve its first quarter production. It’s been a recent habit for the Cyclones to start slowly and pick up their level of play following the first 10 minutes.

Despite Fennelly’s hopes, it was another slow first quarter from the Cyclones, and another hot start from Iowa State’s opponent. Kansas State shot 9-for-17 in the first 10 minutes to take a 22-19 lead over the No. 25 Cyclones. 

But, as the Cyclones have done for most of the season, Iowa State took control in the second quarter.

Fennelly said it was nearly a perfect performance.

“With the exception of maybe the first four or five minutes, I don’t know if we could have played any better,” Fennelly said. “Obviously, we’re not that much better than Kansas State.”

Buoyed by a 14-point first half from senior Bridget Carleton, the Cyclones took the deficit and flipped it on its head, outscoring Kansas State 27-12 in the second period and taking a 46-34 lead into the break. 

Carleton finished with 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, passing Alison Lacey for the ninth-most points in school history. 

Carleton was able to take advantage of a matchup with 6-foot-4 Kansas State forward Peyton Williams.

“I have to take advantage,” Carleton said of the speed advantage she held in the matchup. “I’m going to bring it out in the perimeter and, you know, try to get by them and do what I can.”

The Cyclones won key battles against the Wildcats in the margins. Iowa State crashed the boards to great effect, grabbing 22 offensive rebounds and 47 rebounds in total, as well as forcing Kansas State to turn the ball over 20 times.

That ability to create more opportunities led to the Cyclones having 19 more attempted shots than Kansas State. 

Fennelly was pleased with the team’s effort on the glass.

“Offensive rebounding is white jersey, black jersey, see ball, who wants it more,” Fennelly said. “Tonight we wanted the ball.”

The second half was a continuation of the second quarter, with the Cyclones continuing to make a barrage of 3-pointers with little resistance from the Kansas State defense. 

Also one of Fennelly’s main concerns heading into the game against the Wildcats, the Cyclones had their best game of the season from behind the arc. Coming into Wednesday’s game shooting 31 percent as a team, Iowa State went 16-for-33 from deep.

Fennelly said he wasn’t expecting a night like this from the Cyclones, at least from 3-point range.

“We were a little worried about it,” Fennelly said. “It’s a funny game, and it’s like anything, you feed off of each other.”

The second half is also when sophomore forward Kristin Scott made her biggest impact, scoring 13 of her 19 points in the second half and connecting on a career-high three 3-pointers. 

Scott had a rough year from deep in 2017-18, only hitting 7-of-51 attempts. But this season, Fennelly has continued to give her the green light and the sophomore has felt her confidence improve.

“I feed off of that [confidence] from my coach and from my teammates, obviously,” Scott said.

Overall, Iowa State could hardly have asked for a better start to Big 12 play. But the Cyclones will need consistent shooting performances — not 16-for-33, but better than their 31 percent mark heading into conference play — to make big waves come February and March.