Texas A&M
24-6, 13-3
Iowa State
25-7, 10-6
Iowa State 57, Texas A&M 51
Mar 08, 2007 | Women's Basketball
March 08, 2007
Sophomore Takia Starks (Houston, Texas) scored 15 points as No. 13 Texas A&M shot 33 percent in the second half and dropped a 57-51 decision to Iowa State in the semifinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Women?™s Basketball Championship Thursday night at the Cox Convention Center.
Iowa State?™s Heather Ezell and Alison Lacey scored 11 points apiece as the Cyclones used a late run with its leading scorer on the bench to advance to the Big 12 championship game on Saturday night.
The Cyclones (25-7) outscored the top-seeded Aggies 8-1 while Lyndsey Medders was saddled with foul trouble, breaking a late tie to advance to the conference title game for the first time since they won the Big 12 titles in 2000 and 2001.
As Medders looked on, Nicky Wieben hit a turnaround jumper in the lane to put Iowa State up 49-47, and the Aggies (24-6) didn?™t get another field goal the rest of the way ?- repeating a six-minute drought that cost them in a 61-54 loss at Iowa State on Feb. 14.
Toccara Ross followed Wieben?™s basket with a jumper in the key and ?- after a free throw by Texas A&M?™s La Toya Micheaux ?- Ezell added a floater in the lane. Ross?™ layup off a backdoor cut pushed the lead to 55-48 by the time Medders checked back in with 2:15 left. A night earlier, the fifth-seeded Cyclones needed 27 points from Medders - including a tying three-pointer to force overtime ?- to beat Nebraska in the quarterfinals. This time, her teammates carried the Cyclones in crunch time.
Texas A&M lost for only the second time in its last 13 games, with both defeats coming at the hands of the surging Cyclones. Iowa State has won eight-straight games and will meet either No. 2 seed Oklahoma or No. 3 seed Baylor for the Big 12 title.
Iowa State, the Big 12?™s most prolific three-point shooting team, took its first eight shots of the second half from long range and hit five to build a 43-35 lead on Ezell?™s three from the left corner.
Ezell then missed four-straight shots ?- including the Cyclones?™ first two-point attempt of the half more than eight minutes in ?- as the Aggies got back within 43-41 on junior A?™Quonesia Franklin?™s three-pointer from the top of the key. Franklin (Tyler, Texas) ended the night with nine points and four assists. The Aggies got even on Starks?™ jumper that tied it at 45.
Medders, the Cyclones?™ leading scorer and the Big 12 assists leader, then picked up her fourth foul and went to the bench with 5:46 remaining and the score tied at 47.
The Cyclones ended up going 10-for-26 on 3-pointers against an Aggies defense that had led the Big 12 by allowing opponents to shoot only 26.2 percent from long range. Megan Ronhovde had three of Iowa State?™s three-pointers for nine points and Medders scored eight.
The Cyclones overcame 12 first-half turnovers and led 28-25 after Ezell?™s 3-pointer from the right side ?- the only field goal by either team in the final three and a half minutes before the break.
A&M will learn of its postseason fate as the field of 64 teams for the 2007 Division I Women?™s Basketball Championship will be announced on Selection Monday on March 12 at 7 p.m. (CT) on ESPN.
Postgame Notes...With the loss, Texas A&M drops to 24-6 on the season?...They are now 3-11 all-time in the Big 12 Championship?...For only the second time in league history, the top seed in the postseason league tournament did not move on to the championship game?...Top-seeded Kansas fell in the semifinals in the inaugural 1997 Tournament?...Iowa State has gone an undefeated 3-0 versus the Aggies in Big Championship games and extends its lead to 13-2 in the all-time series?...The Cyclones have won five out of the last six meetings between the two schools?...The last two games have been decided under seven points in favor of ISU including a 61-54 loss (-7) on Feb. 14?...It marked the fifth time for the Aggies to be held under 51 points this season...Similar to both team?™s last contest in Ames both teams could not get past 28 points?...A&M and ISU were tied at 28-28 on Feb. 14?...Iowa State knocked down an opponent season-high 10 three-pointers on an opponent season-high 26 attempts for the game?...Both teams combined for a season-high 16 treys from beyond the arc as A&M drained 6-of-18?...Sophomore Takia Starks reached double figures for the 24th time this season and in eight out of the last 10 outings for A&M?...The Aggies are now 11-4 when shooting just 30 percent from the floor?...They shot 36.2 percent (21-of-58) against the Cyclones?...It was only the team?™s sixth loss of the season, the fewest losses in a single season in program history?...There were four ties in the game between the Aggies and Cyclones?...The A&M defense led ISU to turn over the ball 19 times in the ballgame?...Sophomore Danielle Gant had a near double-double with nine points and eight rebounds?...The five-member Junior Class comprised of A?™Quonesia Franklin, Morenike Atunrase, Patrice Reado, Katy Pounds and LaToya Gulley tied for the most Big 12 Championship games played (5) by an A&M player in a three-or-four year span?...They were members of the A&M squads which advanced to the Big 12 semifinals in back-to-back seasons (2006 and 2007) for the first time in league history and played in the first round as freshmen in 2005?...Five games were played by seniors who started as freshmen during the league?™s inception in 1996-97 including first-round appearances in 1997, 1999 and 2000 and a quarterfinal appearance in 1998?...Those players included former students Prissy Sharpe, Jennifer Burrows and Kera Alexander (1997-2000).
