AMES, Iowa – Iowa State forward Chelsea Poppens simply took over the game. Poppens led a second-half comeback that lifted the Cyclones (13-8 overall, 4-6 Big 12) to a 71-56 win over Texas (13-9 overall, 3-7 Big 12) Saturday in Hilton Coliseum. Poppens’ inspired play included a career-high 27 points and 10 rebounds in just 24 minutes of play.
Poppens, saddled with three fouls, entered with 11:46 left in the game and the Cyclones ahead only 40-38. The junior scored on a layin when she got the ball to give Iowa State a 42-40 lead. A 31-16 run by the Cyclones to close the game included 18 points from Poppens.
Iowa State point guard Lauren Mansfield provided a career-high11 assists and just one turnover in 37 minutes of action. Hallie Christofferson was 5-of-8 from three-point range for the Cyclones, to score 17 points. The sophomore is 14-of-25 (.560) from beyond the arc in the last five games.
The Cyclones trailed by seven early in the second half but got a lift from Anna Prins inside while Poppens remained on the bench. A Prins bucket tied the score and then she provided a jumper that gave Iowa State the lead, 40-38 with 12:01 left. Prins finished the game with 11 points and four rebounds. Then, Poppens returned and the Cyclones scored 10 straight points to take a 50-40 advantage with 8:25 to go.
Texas led 31-27 at the half thanks largely to a rebound advantage of 24-14 that trumped slightly better shooting by Iowa State. The Cyclones had a 24-23 lead after consecutive baskets by Prins with four minutes left in the first half. Texas, aided on the glass by the absence of Poppens, used its strength on the boards to score seven straight points, the last on a Anna Marie Hartung layin with 32 seconds left for a 31-24 Texas lead. Brynn Williamson’s three from the corner with three seconds remaining made it 31-27 at the half.
Yvonne Anderson led Texas with 19 points in the game, including the Longhorns’ first 12 points of the contest. Texas’ Nneka Enemkpali was ejected from the game with 6:31 remaining on her second technical foul. Iowa State forced a season-high 23 turnovers.
Iowa State finished with 23 assists on 25 field goals. In the last two games, the Cyclones have 39 assists on 46 field goals.
Iowa State plays at Missouri Wednesday in a 7 p.m. CST game that will be televised by Mediacom.
