It was reminiscent of ISU men’s basketball’s win Thursday night. The ISU women’s basketball team was toe to two with the No. 23 Hawkeyes on Friday night at Hilton Coliseum. 

But the Cyclones wouldn’t let go of a late lead and pulled off the upset to take home a CyHawk victory, 69-66.

The Cyclones started the game on the right foot, both offensively and defensively. Iowa State (5-3, 0-0 Big 12) limited Iowa (8-2, 0-0 Big 10) to just five makes in the first quarter, keeping the Hawkeyes at just 25 percent from the field. 

The Cyclones came out firing. Iowa State finished the first quarter shooting 41.7 percent from the field, going 5-for-12, and led 14-12 going into the second quarter. 

But the shooting success flipped in the second quarter. 

Iowa shot 46.2 percent in the second 10 minutes and limited Iowa State to 28.6 percent. The Hawkeyes also flipped the score, leading 33-28 at half. 

Iowa just kept Iowa State at arm’s length, keeping its lead at double digits or close to it. Kidd Blaskowsky threw a full-court pass to end the third quarter with a bucket and kept the Cyclones within single digits. 

Iowa State would not let this game go away, though. It battled back to tie the game at 55 with just under 5 minutes to go in the game. The comeback was thanks in part to Bridget Carleton and Seanna Johnson, who both came up big in the final moments. 

Iowa State had a six-point lead for most of the final two minutes until Iowa cut into the lead with under one minute to go.

The Hawkeyes went to the free throw line down by two, able to tie the game up. Iowa’s Ally Disterhoft couldn’t make one of them and the Cyclones held the ball and made the clutch free throws to pull off the victory. 

Iowa State will stay at home against Arkansas Pine-Bluff at 12 p.m. Sunday.