AMES – The Iowa State women’s basketball team (3-0 overall) defeated in-state rival Drake (1-2 overall) in comeback fashion by a score of 75-67 on Sunday at Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones, who trailed by as many as 11, and were down five entering the final quarter, put the game on ice when redshirt junior guard and former Mason City Mohawk Jadda Buckley ran off seven-straight points in the closing minutes.
Bridget Carleton led four Cyclones in double figures with 19 points on the night, while Buckley poured in 17 to go with seven assists and just one turnover. Seanna Johnson (16) and Emily Durr (11) were next in the scoring column, while Meredith Burkhall pulled down 11 rebounds to go with a career-high 10 from guard TeeTee Starks.
The Cyclones had trouble finding a rhythm in the opening period, as Drake was able to get baskets in the paint in the early going, and then hit enough outside shots to maintain its advantage. On the other end, Iowa State was unable to convert on the looks it created, making 5-of-16 attempts from the field in the first 10 minutes. Carleton, a sophomore, led ISU with six in the opening quarter. Lizzy Wendell paced the Bulldogs with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting, and Drake led 22-16 after one quarter.
Drake scored a quick five points to open the second period on back-to-back buckets by Sammie Bachroft, giving the Bulldogs their largest lead of the game at 27-16 with 8:14 to play in the half. The Cyclones went to work chipping away at the deficit, cutting into the lead with 3-pointers from Buckley and Carleton.
Drake maintained a 34-26 advantage before the ISU defense locked down, holding the Bulldogs scoreless the final 4:20 of the half. Durr splashed home jump shots on consecutive possessions to make the score 34-31 at the half. Carleton led the way with 11 points and three boards as the Cyclones headed to the locker room.
Iowa State took its first lead of the game midway through the third quarter on an impressive sequence by Durr. The junior guard jumped a passing lane for a steal and then worked off a screen on the other end to get open from beyond the arc. The Drake defender lunged to prevent the Cyclone sharp-shooter from getting the shot off and committed a shooting foul in the process. Durr sank all three attempts to give the Cyclones a 43-41 lead.
The Bulldogs would wrangle back momentum, but Durr scored six in the quarter to keep Iowa State within striking distance at 55-50 at the end of the stanza. Drake’s Caitlin Ingle scored nine in the third.
Cyclone fans got their money’s worth in the fourth quarter alone, as Iowa State and Drake swapped three lead changes and four ties in what was a one-possession game for nearly the entire period. Iowa State guards Buckley and Johnson made play after play down the stretch, with Drake answering each time, and the teams found themselves tied at 65-65 with two minutes to play.
A driving Starks found Buckley open in the corner and the junior buried a triple to give the Cyclones a 68-65 lead they would not surrender. The trey was the start of seven-straight points from Buckley to put the game away. The spurt was part of a 10-2 ISU run to close the game, as the Cyclones outscored Drake 25-12 in the final quarter.
Cyclone Player of the Game: Jadda Buckley. The junior guard went for 17 points and seven assists with just one turnover on the evening. However, Buckley’s night went beyond just the numbers. She gave Iowa State the lead for good, and then slammed the door shut on Drake in the deciding run of the game.
Iowa State returns to Hilton Coliseum on Tuesday to take on Savannah State. Tip between the Cyclones and Lady Tigers will be at 7 p.m. with the game televised on Cyclones.TV Powered by Mediacom.
Final highlights from the Cyclones 75-67 win over Drake! https://t.co/10Q00dCysD
— Cyclone Basketball (@CycloneWBB) November 21, 2016
.@jdbucks11 and @bridgecarleton talk to the media after tonight's win! pic.twitter.com/aJsMJFv98R
— Cyclone Basketball (@CycloneWBB) November 21, 2016
