Iowa State women’s basketball takes down No. 7 Kansas State in 2OT

Kansas State welcomed All-America post Ayoka Lee back to its lineup Wednesday night after a month away with an ankle injury. Iowa State was an unwelcoming host.

The Cyclones made 10 of 10 free throws in the final 35 seconds to secure a 96-93, double-overtime victory over the seventh-ranked Wildcats at Hilton Coliseum.

Hannah Belanger’s two free throws with 35 seconds left made it 88-87 ISU, the last of 13 lead changes in the game.

Addy Brown made a pair from the foul line with 3.4 seconds for the final margin, as K-State (21-4, 10-3 Big 12) could not get another shot off.

“It doesn’t get much better than that,” Brown said on the ESPN+ broadcast after the game. “That was awesome. I’m gonna remember this game forever.”

Iowa State (14-9, 8-5) made 31 of 36 free throws in the game, including a 10-for-10 mark for Emily Ryan and an 8-for-8 performance from Brown.

“We shoot them so much during practice ... I wasn’t nervous,” Brown said.

The marquee win almost slipped away from the Cyclones, who used a 12-0 run to take a 16-6 lead midway through the first quarter. The advantage stretched to 13 in the second quarter, but K-State rallied to take a 59-58 lead on Gisela Sanchez’s 3-pointer with 6:46 left in regulation.

Brown tied the score twice in the last minute, first on a 3-pointer with 52.4 seconds left that Kansas State’s Brylee Glenn answered with a go-ahead free throw. After a Lee free throw put the Wildcats up two, Brown hit a pair from the foul line to make it 72-72 with 10.6 seconds to go.

Audi Crooks blocked a Serena Sundell shot in the lane with 6.8 seconds left, then Sundell’s contested heave from the corner hit the side of the backboard at the buzzer.

Lee made a turnaround shot at the horn to force a second OT, tied at 80, after Brown had hit two free throws with 8.3 seconds left to put ISU up.

Lee scored a game-high 20 points in her return, but needed 21 shots to get there. Sundell also had 20, as did ISU freshmen Brown and Crooks, who battled with the veteran Lee on the block.

“That was fun to watch,” Brown said. “I caught myself a few times just watching them battle. Two great post players and I think they showed that tonight.”

Iowa State was also efficient from 3-point range, making 9 of 19.

The Cyclones got 21 bench points in the opening 20 minutes, including eight apiece from Isnelle Natabou and Kelsey Joens.

K-State shot just 27.3 percent in the first half and trailed 39-26 at the break. This is the Wildcats’ first loss to an unranked opponent.

Iowa State added a fifth Quadrant 1 victory to its NCAA Tournament resume, which also includes home wins over ranked teams Baylor and West Virginia.

It’s a win that had to feel especially good for ISU during a stretch of five losses in its last six played games. Up next? Another ranked opponent ... No. 5 Texas on the road at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com