Ames, Iowa — The Iowa State women played one of their ugliest games I’ve ever seen Tuesday night and still managed to pull out a win.
After my experience in Columbia, I thought this was going to be a good game, a fun game. My only concern was how the Tigers had used their press and inside defense to hold the Cyclones to four field goals (only one of which wasn’t a three) in the second half. A chance encounter outside Hilton got me a prime, prime seat on the lowest level. (Unfortunately, my decision to turn off the flash was the wrong one.)
But as soon as the game started, it was clear we were in trouble. Unlike Saturday vs. Oklahoma, the women could not buy a basket. A couple shots went halfway down and bounced out. Worse, Missouri was hot. We were getting out-three’d in our own house.
So for much of the first half, this was the train of thought: (Clank.) This cannot be happening. (Clank.) This cannot be happening. (Missouri three.) This IS happening. (Clank.) You get the idea. A loss here could easily drop ISU to the WNIT.
Both teams went dry in the middle of the second half. Baskets were exchanged once in a period lasting over four minutes. After that, as the Cyclones kept trying to chip away, the Tigers would make another basket or two to keep at least a two-possession lead. The Cyclones ended the game with a field goal percentage under 30%.
As for the officiating, the Big 12 has issues. They were noticeable enough that Robin Pingeton had to “no comment” after the game. Too many things not being called under the basket, plus some weird fouls in both directions. ISU’s post players got beaten up.
Finally, it was time for the basketball version of a two-minute offense — and defense. Chelsea Poppens alternated between made and missed free throws. With 1:08 left, she tied the score for the first time. Two free throws from Chassidy Cole with 45 seconds to go gave ISU the first lead of the game since 3-2. In all of regulation, ISU led for 1 minute and 51 seconds and the game was tied for 27 seconds, including after the can’t-defend-it-better-than-that banked three-pointer from Missouri with 4 seconds left.
This free throw gave ISU the lead, but overtime would follow. It has also occurred to me that the Big 12 logo isn’t on the floor!
Overtime was a true team effort. Four different Cyclones scored. Missouri made a couple of bad turnovers and couldn’t get close. Final score: ISU 66, MU 59.
A game I can think of to match this, trailing poorly in “this can’t be happening” mode only to pull out a win, was the 2010 second-round NCAA game against Green Bay.
“Most of it was just kind of ugly, but a win is a win,” Poppens said after the game. That’s it in a nutshell.
PS: I haven’t written true news-style recaps because there are a couple of guys at Cyclone Fanatic, plus the people who are paid to do it, who do it much better.
PPS: I don’t know how good those noise-canceling headphones are, so if Lyndsey (Medders) Fennelly heard a bunch of chair-pounding at the end of the game: I’m sorry.