Cyclones squeak past Green Bay; mighty UConn next

AMES – Connecticut can wait.

Iowa State players and coaches are going to savor this one -- as well they should.

Trailing most of the game with their two stars struggling to get free for shots, let alone hit them, the fourth-seeded Cyclones pulled it together late and are marching on to their second straight Sweet Sixteen with Tuesday's 60-56 victory over No. 12 Green Bay at Hilton Coliseum.

“I don't know how we did it, but I'm so happy we did,” said ISU guard Alison Lacey, who had 12 points and seven assists in her final game in front of the home fans.

ISU (25-7) is one of five teams -- Stanford, Connecticut, Baylor and Oklahoma are the others – to reach week two of the NCAA tournament in consecutive years.

The unbeaten and defending champion Huskies (35-0) are on deck.

The teams will meet Sunday in Dayton, Ohio, at 11 a.m. Iowa time.

“Everybody knows I'm nuts, but I'm excited to play them. Why not?” Coach Bill Fennelly said. “It's the best team I've ever seen on the biggest stage you can have.”

The lowest seeded team left in the tournament and on their opponent's home floor, Green Bay didn't bat an eye.

Before a mostly pro-ISU crowd of 6,498, the Phoenix (28-5) nearly became the first No. 12 seed to reach the round of 16 since 1996. They took control from the start, scoring the game's first 10 points before the Cyclones knew what hit them.

ISU trailed 34-29 at halftime and didn't hold a lead until nine minutes were left in the game.

“They came out real aggressive,” said guard Kelsey Bolte. “I don't think we weren't ready but we really kind of backed down the first couple of minutes.”

Later on, Bolte stepped up in a big way by hitting a 3-pointer from the wing with 1:11 to play.

She'd missed eight of her previous 10 shots from deep and finished the night with 15 points on 5 of 18 shooting from the floor, but still found the courage to take what ended up being the game-winning shot.

She also hit a pair of free throws with 3.2 seconds to play that were big, but her three was the real whopper.

“Everyone keeps asking me about it and it's almost a blur,” Bolte said. “Coach Fennelly just kept telling me to shoot it and not miss it like the previous 10 shots I'd taken.”

Green Bay's defense forced the Cyclones into 37.3 percent shooting and forced Lacey to give the ball up to her teammates with double-teams.

The first-team all-Big 12 point guard hit just 3 of 12 shots and missed all six of her 3-point tries.

“She's one of the best we've played against all year,” Green Bay coach Matt Bollant said. “Despite a poor first half for her we knew she would make plays. We wanted someone else to beat us.”

Freshman Jessica Schroll kept ISU in it in early, scoring nine first-half points and playing solid defense against an interchangeable Phoenix lineup.

Center Anna Prins added 13 points but had trouble on the defensive end, giving way to Schroll.

Green Bay forward Kayla Tetschlag scored a career-best 29 points – 18 in the first half -- on 10 of 13 shooting, including four 3-pointers.

Another versatile GB forward, Julie Wojta, added 12 points.

“We couldn't guard them,” Fennelly said.

Trailing 57-56 with the last shot of the game theirs to take, Phoenix point guard Celeste Hoewisch stepped out of bounds on a drive to the basket with 4.3 seconds to go.

Lacey cut off the baseline.

“I knew she was going to have the ball in her hands. She is their best player,” Lacey said. “I thought it was my job to get a stop. I think it was the most focused I've been on defense in my career here.”

They exhaled big once Denae Stuckey stole a last gasp inbounds pass and time expired.

Players will wait until today to worry about Connecticut, which throttled No. 8  seed Temple 90-36 Tuesday night and have won an NCAA record 74 straight games.

“We're just treasuring the moment right now,” Schroll said.