OKLAHOMA CITY — The Iowa State women’s basketball team couldn’t get its big three to provide the spark it needed, falling to Kansas State 74-67 in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament. 

If the first quarter was any indication of how the game was going to play out, it seemed like Iowa State (18-12, 9-9 Big 12) would cruise to victory over No. 24 Kansas State (21-9, 11-7 Big 12).

The Cyclones led by eight after the first period, holding the Wildcats to just seven points on 2-for-15 shooting (13 percent).

Kansas State, however, rallied to start the second, going on a 12-3 run. Coach Bill Fennelly talked about what he thought changed from the first to second quarter.

“I think in the first quarter we were pretty efficient offensively. We made some shots,” Fennelly said. “We had about a three-minute stretch there where we could not get a defensive rebound and couldn’t make a shot and good teams will make you pay for that, and they’re a very good team.”

On top of a hot start, the Wildcats were doing a stellar job of keeping Iowa State’s primary scorers on lockdown. Throughout the game, the Cyclones’ big three, Seanna Johnson, Jadda Buckley and Bridget Carleton were held to just 27 points on 9-for-29 shooting.

Carleton, a unanimous All-Big 12 selection, was limited to six points after fouling out of the game late in the fourth quarter.

“They denied her the ball and did a good job of preventing her from scoring,” Fennelly said. “But, you know, she got 11 shots off. It just wasn’t her night… We wouldn’t be where we are without her, but today just wasn’t a good day for her.”

Johnson, a senior, came into the game looking for her first conference tournament win at Iowa State. Although she had a solid all-around performance of 12 points, four rebounds and five assists, it wasn’t enough to propel the team to victory.

The major difference between the two teams came from the free throw line. Although both teams shot the same percentage from the line (83.3%), the Wildcats were there twice as much as the Cyclones.

Normally a team that can get to the free throw line regularly, the Cyclones only took 12 shots compared to the Wildcat’s 24

A majority of the Cyclone’s scoring came from Emily Durr and Heather Bowe. The duo finished with a combined 34 points, more than half of the team’s total.

Durr provided small sparks during the late comeback attempts, making a couple big 3-pointers down the stretch. But the team was unable to capitalize on her hot hand.

The loss marked the end of the conference tournament for Iowa State, but the team still has high hopes of making it to the NCAA tournament.

Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie gave a glowing endorsement for the Cyclones to make the field of 64.

“If the eye test is real, and anybody has two good eyes, [Iowa State] is an NCAA Tournament team,” Mittie said. “There probably isn’t a bubble team out there that has a top-five win on the road at a top-five team in the last month.

“That was an NCAA Tournament game this morning that you saw and I hope that they’re certainly in there.”

The Cyclones will learn their postseason fate Monday, March 13 when the committee makes the final decision on who makes the tournament field.