Cyclones Drop a Close Road Test to Kansas, 68-64

LAWRENCE, Kan. – the Iowa State women's basketball team (18-11, 9-9 Big 12) fell to the Kansas Jayhawks (15-16, 6-12 Big 12), 68-64, in Lawrence, Kansas.

The Cyclones' 9-9 Big 12 record earned them the five-seed in the Big 12 tournament and they will face Oklahoma State on Saturday at 11 a.m. in Dallas, Texas.

How It Happened…
Both Kansas and Iowa State came to play in their regular season finale. The Jayhawks would control the momentum early, building a 26-15 lead with 6:36 remaining in the first half, but a Brynn Williamson 3-pointer ignited a 10-5 Iowa State run, narrowing KU's lead to six at the half.

Both teams shot 42.3 percent (11-of-26) from the field in the first 20 minutes, but the Jayhawks were able to keep Iowa State off the free-throw line, while knocking down all five of their attempts from the charity stripe.

The Cyclones would claim an early advantage on the boards, out-rebounding Kansas 20-14 on both ends of the court in the first half. Nikki Moody dropped 11 points while dishing a pair of assists, and Seanna Johnson lead the Cyclones in rebounds, ripping down eight boards before the break.

Kansas would build an 11-point advantage by the 13:21 mark, but the Cyclones stormed back, cutting the deficit to one point following a Johnson layup with 5:38 remaining. Moody would net a layup to make it a 66-64 ballgame with three seconds left on the clock, but a pair of Natalie Knight free throws would ice the game for Kansas.

Johnson would record a double-double, tallying 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Moody led the Cyclones in scoring with 24, while adding to her Iowa State all-time assist record with three (733).

Game Ball Goes To…
Seanna Johnson. The sophomore guard made a number of crucial buckets to keep Iowa State in the game, and her eight defensive rebounds helped limit Kansas to just 10 second-chance points on the evening. Johnson also went 6-of-10 from the field.

Cyclone Quick Hits
*ISU extended its NCAA-record streak to 641 consecutive games with a three-pointer.
*ISU has now made 5,013 three-pointers during the 20-year streak.
*Nikki Moody extended her ISU school record in assists to 733 with three on the night.
*Moody has now scored in double figures 21 times on the season and 66 times in her career.
*After eclipsing the 500 rebound mark against Baylor, Seanna Johnson added 10 to her career total.

Next Up:
The Cyclones will travel to Dallas, Texas for the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship and face 4-seed Oklahoma State at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Iowa State earned the five seed. Fans can follow the action from home on Twitter (@CycloneWBB) and on Cyclones.com via the live blog.

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Players Mentioned

Seanna Johnson

Seanna Johnson

Nikki Moody

Nikki Moody

Brynn Williamson

Brynn Williamson

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