AMES, Iowa (AP) -- A late scoring drought almost denied Iowa
State its best start in school history.
No. 7 Iowa State needed a basket by Tracy Gahan and two free
throws in the final 30 seconds to edge Missouri 68-67 on Wednesday
night in game that ended with huge swings in momentum.
Iowa State (14-1, 5-0 Big 12) went on a 15-0 run to open a 64-52
lead with less than six minutes remaining, then made the plays it
needed at the end after Missouri ran off 13 straight points to
regain the lead with less than a minute to go.
"It seemed like such a blur when they came back," Iowa State's
Megan Taylor said. "It just happened so fast."
Iowa State missed 10 straight shots and Natalie Bright's
3-pointer with 42.7 seconds left gave Missouri (11-5, 2-3) a 65-64
lead. The Cyclones then looked for 6-foot-4 Angie Welle, but ended
up going to Gahan and she delivered.
Lindsey Wilson, who led Iowa State with 21 points, drove to the
basket, drew the defense to her and shoveled a pass to Gahan, who
made a layup with 28.2 seconds remaining to put the Cyclones up
66-65.
"They doubled on me, Tracy was wide open and she finished,"
Wilson said.
With plenty of time to work for a shot, Missouri's Amanda
Lassiter put up a quick 3-point attempt from the right corner with
Welle running at her and the ball sailed over the basket.
Erica Junod rebounded for Iowa State, and Welle and Gahan each
hit a free throw to put the Cyclones up by three. Missouri's Evan
Urau scored on an uncontested putback with two seconds left after
Lassiter missed another 3-pointer.
Lassiter said she did not regret taking the quick shot.
"It was meant to go to me. It just didn't fall," she said.
"What can I say? Sometimes they fall, sometimes they don't. I
think I adjusted the shot because she's a little bit taller and I
shot it too hard."
Welle finished with 18 points and a career-high 20 rebounds.
Gahan scored 15, and Megan Taylor 12.
Lassiter led Missouri with 21 points, including 16 in the first
half. Iowa State contained her in the second half with a box-and-1
that had Junod chasing Lassiter and the other four players in a
zone.
Missouri took a 52-47 lead after baskets by Lassiter and Tracy
Franklin, who scored 11 points, then went more than seven minutes
before scoring again. Iowa State stormed back with the help of a
technical foul on Missouri's Marlena Williams, who slammed the ball
to the floor after being called for her fifth personal foul.
Taylor, 3-for-17 from the field, sank both free throws for the
technical and two more for the foul, giving Iowa State a 57-52
lead.
"It was very disappointing," Missouri coach Cindy Stein said.
"I'm not disappointed in her. That was just very unfortunate and
it changed the momentum of the game."
Gahan's 3-pointer, Wilson's two free throws and Junod's layup
stretched the lead to 12. Less than 5 minutes later, that lead had
vanished.
"It was eerily like Oklahoma," said Iowa State coach Bill
Fennelly, whose team beat the Sooners 81-79 after leading by 18.
"I thought we had some really solid looks at the basket and that
eventually, we were going to make one of them.
"When a team is coming back, if you just make one shot, it
stems the tide, but we couldn't do that."
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ALSO SEE
Women's College Basketball Scoreboard
Missouri Clubhouse
Iowa State Clubhouse
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