On Friday afternoon, Iowa State defeated South Dakota 81-76 in Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones trailed well into the fourth quarter before mounting their comeback in their season opener.

The Cyclones got off to a hot start in the first quarter and jumped out to a quick 11-5 lead minutes into the game. It wasn’t until the 5:20 mark that South Dakota made their first field goal. 

Leading 22-19 at the beginning of the second quarter, the Cyclones quickly got into foul trouble and took a step back from their impressive first quarter. The Coyotes took a 40-37 lead into halftime, while the Cyclones shot an impressive 6-9 behind the arc for the half. 

Much like the second quarter, Iowa State’s offensive woes continued as they scored just 14 points in the third quarter. The Cyclones went 6-13 from the field and 2-5 from behind the arc. South Dakota managed to hold onto their lead and started the fourth quarter up by three points. 

Bridget Carleton spearheaded Iowa State’s fourth quarter comeback and led the way with a majority of her game-high 24 points coming in the final quarter. Kristin Scott provided two key blocks along the way and finished with three for the game. 

Emily Durr finished the game with 14 points, but left the game in the third quarter after limping off the court. 

Iowa State moved to 1-0 after defeating the Coyotes.