Jadda Buckley leads Cyclones in 100-63 route of New Orleans

AMES – Iowa State improved to 6-1 on the season with a 100-63 win over New Orleans Sunday afternoon at Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones shot a blistering 58.9 percent from the field, led by 19 from Emily Durr, while Jadda Buckley racked up 18 points and nine assists.

Iowa State’s offense was devastatingly efficient, as the Cyclones buried 12-of-18 3-point attempts and knocked down 22 free throws to overwhelm the Privateers.

A cold start offensively plagued the Cyclones in the early going. Playing their second game in as many days, Iowa State opened the game just 2-of-13 from the floor, as New Orleans raced out to an early lead. However, the ISU bench contributed in a big way, as freshman Adriana Camber entered to splash home the first Cyclone 3-pointer of the game, while Claire Ricketts got free in the post and scored game-high six in the opening quarter. After 10 minutes of action, New Orleans clung to a 15-13 advantage.

The Cyclones flipped the script in the second quarter with a lights-out offensive display. Durr added to the bench contribution by drilling a pair of triples early in the period to swing momentum in Iowa State’s favor. The Cyclones would take their first lead of the game at 21-19 just over three minutes into the stanza. It was a lead that would not be relinquished, as Durr’s spurt was part of a 13-4 ISU run. In all, the Cyclones opened the quarter making 8-of-9 attempts from the field, including 5-of-5 on 3-point attempts as well as 8-of-8 from the charity stripe.

At the intermission, Iowa State had established a 42-35 lead, led by 10 points from Meredith Burkhall, while Buckley dished out seven assists in the half.

Buckley and Durr took the game over in the third quarter, as Iowa State continued to extend its lead. The duo combined for 20 points in the quarter while shooting a combined 5-of-7 from the floor. With 10 points from each, the Cyclones put the game away, taking a 70-49 lead through three quarters of action.

Iowa State splashed home three consecutive 3-pointers to open the fourth quarter, and the Cyclones put the exclamation point on an overwhelming offensive performance. With the reserves playing the majority of the final stanza, ISU extending its lead into a 100-63 victory.

The Cyclone Player of the Game is Jadda Buckley. The junior point guard was in full command of the Cyclone offense in Sunday’s victory. The Mason City, Iowa native put up 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting on the afternoon, but what set her performance apart was her ability to get open shots for her teammates. Buckley dished out nine assists while committing just one turnover.

Cyclone Quick Notes
*Iowa State extended its NCAA-record streak to 680 games with a made 3-pointer.
*Iowa State is now 143-4 in non-conference regular season home games under Bill Fennelly.
*15 of Iowa State’s first 19 points were scored by players coming off the bench.
*Emily Durr recorded 19 points, her 14th career game in double figures.
*Claire Rickets scored a career-high 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting.
*Adriana Camber scored a career-high 10 points, to go with three rebounds and a block.

Iowa State hits the road to take on Iowa in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series on Wednesday. Tip will be at 7:00 p.m. CT and the game can be viewed on BTN Plus, an internet-only subscription platform.