Iowa State fell asleep in the final minutes of overtime, giving No. 11 Kansas State a final offensive push to secure an 87-79 win over the Cyclones.
With the Wildcats having a consistent run over Iowa State, the Cyclones were able to continuously bounce back to continue the battle into the final minutes, forcing a 71-71 tie to send the game into overtime.
Despite the five-minute chance to finish out with a win, the Cyclones faced an offensive slump leading to an eight-point loss.
3-point shooting keeps score tight
With Kansas State’s defense focused primarily on sophomore center Audi Crooks in the first half, Crooks contributed nine points and finished with 28 overall, but was not the player to get the ball moving early on.
With the perimeter open, the Cyclones took advantage of their shooting skills from beyond the arc, allowing them to break through offensive droughts and quickly recover during crucial moments of the game.
The Cyclones had 36 attempts from long range, however, they executed the shot 12 times, giving Iowa State small spurts of momentum to keep the game going.
Finding the most success from the 3-point arc was sophomore forward Addy Brown, who went 4-for-5, heavily contributing to Iowa State’s 33% completion rate from deep.
Brown ended the night with 20 points, her final shot being a 3-point jump shot to keep the Cyclones in the game during overtime before the Wildcats took over.
Turnovers cost the game
Faced with similar defensive styles in the past, the Cyclones were deemed unprepared for the full-court pressure from the Wildcats, leaving Iowa State with many mistakes and stuck in foul trouble.
Giving up a quick 11 turnovers in the first half, and a total of 23 by the end of the night, the Cyclones gave the Wildcats an offensive boost as they made 20 points off their offensive mistakes
With a top-tier defense, Kansas State had no trouble stopping the Cyclones. Double-teaming Crooks and their consistent use of applied pressure on Iowa State led the Wildcats to dominate and control the court, securing 18 steals in the process.
The heart of the Wildcats’ defense was sophomore guard Zyanna Walker, who placed herself in the way of the Cyclones numerous times. This effort not only earned her possession of the ball but also resulted in trips to the charity stripe. She secured a total of 11 points, with five coming from free throws, as well as seven defensive rebounds, one block and one steal.
Iowa State’s offense shatters in final minutes
With five minutes remaining to secure a win against a ranked team, the Cyclones fell under pressure being outscored 16-8 in the overtime period.
The Wildcats controlled overtime after a 3-point shot, which gave them a lead that they continuously protected and grew for the remainder of the time.
Despite having opportunities, the Cyclones grew frustrated and were unable to put the ball up, but quickly came up with a skill to hand Crooks the ball, who had minimal time with it throughout the game.
Crooks found success from the low post as she secured shots and layups from within the paint and from the free-throw line, where the team went 100% until the last minutes when it mattered most.
Concluding the Wildcats’ offensive success of the game was senior guard Serena Sundell, who secured five points during overtime, contributing to her overall total of a team-high 23 points. She also had a well-deserved eight assists, three steals and one block.
Complementing Sundell’s success was sophomore guard Taryn Sides, who secured six points in the final minutes of play and finished with 17 points overall, five rebounds, five assists and four steals.