Iowa State got 27 points out of senior Ashley Joens and 20 more from junior Lexi Donarski.
It nearly found a triple-double from Emily Ryan and Nyamer Diew played her best game of her Iowa State career.
But the Cyclones lost 82-79, dropping their first Big 12 game of the year to No. 17 Oklahoma.
“Im really pleased,” Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly said on the Cyclone Radio Network. “We had some kids that played as hard as they possibly could play.”
In the first quarter of the game Stephanie Soares, looked at the coaching staff and pointed to her leg. She went to the ground and exited the game before the first media timeout arrived, never returning to the court.
Soares, the Cyclones’ starting post, leads the team in rebounding and was a welcomed addition to an already stout roster.
Her absence proved costly for the Cyclones, who did almost everything they could to salvage the result on the road.
Iowa State entered the third quarter trailing by 11 and even gave up a last-second three in the frame after turning the ball over on the opposite end.
The mistake may have made the difference in the game, but the team showed as much effort, passion and determination in its response.
“It showed we have grit,” Donarski said simply on the Cyclone Radio Network.
Iowa State will return to the court to face Kansas State at Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday, January 11 (6:30 p.m. ESPN+).
