The following is a press conference courtesy of Iowa State Athletic Communications.
AMES, Iowa – Iowa State closed out the non-conference portion of the schedule with a 75-46 win over Nicholls State Thursday afternoon at Hilton Coliseum. The win moved ISU to 6-5 on the season, while Nicholls is now 5-6.
Iowa State was led by an 18 point afternoon from Madison Wise. She was one of four Cyclones in double figures, as she was joined by Emily Durr (14), Bride Kennedy-Hopoate (11) and Bridget Carleton (10).
How it Happened
The Cyclones were able to break out of a sluggish first quarter, going on a 7-0 run in the final 3:43 of the first period. The run was capped off by a pair of Bridget Carleton buckets, one of which was a nifty up and under lay-in to give the Cyclones a 19-10 advantage.
ISU moved that lead to 14 points in the early stages of the second quarter, but the Colonels bounced back with a 10-0 run to make it 27-23 Cyclones. Iowa State was able to mount a late recovery, as Bride Kennedy-Hopoate drained a corner 3-pointer in the dying seconds to push the lead back to eight at 35-27.
The Cyclones rolled in the third quarter, outscoring the Colonels 29-6 in the frame. Madison Wise showed her stuff, as the freshman finished the frame with 10 points, including a pair of triples. Iowa State controlled the action from there, with its lead reaching as many as 31 points en route to the victory.
Players of Note
Bride Kennedy Hopoate got her first six from the charity stripe, but hit a 3-pointer in the waning seconds of the first half to give ISU an eight-point halftime lead. The Aussie finished the contest with 11 points, including 8-of-8 from the free throw line.
Madison Wise had another outstanding performance, as the freshman had her fourth game in double figures with 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range.
Emily Durr drained four 3-pointers, finishing the day with 14 points and five assists.
Cyclone Quick Hits
*Iowa State has hit a 3-pointer in an NCAA-record 715 consecutive games.
Up Next
Iowa State will return after the holiday break with its Big 12 opener against Kansas on Thursday, Dec. 28 inside Hilton Coliseum. Tip between the Cyclones and Jayhawks will be at 6:30 p.m. with Cyclones.TV Powered by Mediacom televising the contest.
