2010 WNBA Draft — Lacey chosen as 10th overall pick
Alison Lacey has been selected to the Seattle Storm as the 10th overall pick of the draft. The Storm finished last season with a 20-14 record. Lacey is the first Cyclone to be selected as a first round draft pick. For more information on the Storm visit their Website.
Three players from the Big 12 have been chosen in the first nine picks of the 2010 WNBA draft.
The ninth pick by the Atlanta Dream goes to Chanel Mokango, Mississippi State.
The Los Angeles Sparks have chosen OSU guard Andrea Riley as the eighth overall pick.
Danielle McCray is selected as the seventh overall pick despite a current torn ACL. McCray was picked as Preseason All Big 12 Player of the Year this season but unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury and will not be able to play in her first season with the Connecticut Sun. McCray thinks she will be ready to play in August.
Jacinta Monroe is selected as the sixth overall pick by the Washington Mystics.
Jayne Appel from Stanford University is selected as the fifth overall pick by the San Antonio Silver Stars.
The Chicago Sky select Epiphany Prince from Rutgers as the fourth overall pick of the 2010 WNBA Draft.
The Lynx also get the third pick of the day and choose Cornhuskers’ 6-foot-2 inch guard Kelsey Griffin.
The Minnesota Lynx select Monica Wright from the University of Virginia as the second overall pick of the draft.
Charles says she hopes to stay consistent now that she’s in the WNBA and how “amazing” it will be playing in Connecticut with her family and friends able to watch her.
The Connecticut Sun select Tina Charles from the University of Connecticut as the first WNBA pick. No surprise there, the AP Player of the Year, Charles gets to remain in-state after leading the Huskies to their second consecutive national title.
Donna Orender begins the program by congratulating UConn on their national championship title.
Live from the newsroom, the 2010 WNBA Draft on ESPN2 is about to begin. Will ISU senior point guard Alison Lacey receive a first round pick?
WBB: Whitney Williams to Transfer
Sophomore guard Whitney Williams has announced her intentions to transfer after the current school year is over.
With the departure of senior guards Alison Lacey and Denae Stuckey, Williams was expected to contend for one of the vacated starting spots at guard next season.
Williams said her decision to leave was strictly because she felt as though she was being led in another direction.
“My two years at Iowa State have been amazing,” Williams said. “They are memories I will never forget and I will always treasure. I’ve given it a lot of thought and a lot of prayer and I feel like I’m being led in another direction. I want to thank the coaches for giving me the opportunity to play here.”
In her two years at Iowa State, Williams averaged 3.9 points per game and was consistently one of the best three-point field goal and free throw shooters on the team.
Lacey heads to 2010 WNBA draft show
By Kayci Woodley
Daily Staff Writer
Cyclone senior Alison Lacey will be attending the 2010 WNBA draft show on Thursday, April 8 in Secaucus, N.J. Lacey is the first ISU women’s basketball player to attend the show and is just one of 14 players asked to attend.
The draft will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN360.com at 2 p.m. CST and the second and third rounds will be broadcast by NBA TV.
Lacey, along with coach Bill Fennelly, assistant coach Jodi Steyer and former ISU women’s basketball player Brittany Lange will travel to New Jersey on Wednesday morning.
The Australian import led Iowa State to a 25-8 overall record and second place finish in the Big 12 season, but her efforts and sacrifices for the team began long before the season started. Lacey took the helm of the Cyclones and became the leader after the 2008-’09 season commenced and impacted the team’s success greatly.
“When you had the year that she had there’s so much that goes into it that people don’t see the personal sacrifice she made for her team is a great example to others because in the end, the team won and she’s reaping the benefit of it,” Fennelly said.
Lacey was selected as an All-Big 12 First Team pick unanimously and was recently honored as an Associated Press All-America honorable mention pick. Despite recovering from pneumonia, Lacey led the Cyclones to two NCAA victories this season and an appearance in the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.
“You’re not an all-conference player unless your team wins. You’re not an All-American unless your team wins and I think she figured that out,” Fennelly said.
This season Lacey rebuilt a team full of newcomers into a Sweet 16 team and harnessed an 11-5 record in conference play. Lacey posted the first-ever triple-double in ISU history against the rival Hawkeyes this season and propelled a second half comeback against Colorado this season in which she scored 18 straight points for Iowa State.
“If you want to have a debate about the best individual year of any Iowa State individual basketball player I think I’d want hers to discuss with everybody because it’d be right in there,” Fennelly said.
Lacey earns All-America honors
By Kayci Woodley
Daily Staff Writer
Becoming just the fifth player in Iowa State history to receive the honor, senior point guard Alison Lacey was named an Associated Press All-America honorable mention pick on Tuesday afternoon.
Lacey was at the helm for Iowa State this season, helping the Cyclones to a 25-8 overall record and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. This season the Canberra, Australia native became the first player in ISU history to record 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists in a career.
Nationally, Lacey topped the chart in assist-to-turnover ratio this season and finished with a ratio of 2.97. Lacey led the Cyclones with 15. 8 points and 5.7 assists per game on average.
Defensively the six-foot guard was also a factor for the Cyclones with the second highest number of steals and defensive rebounds. Lacey was nearly automatic from the free throw line this season with an 87.9-percent clip.
Complete list of AP All-American awards:
First Team
Maya Moore — UConn
Tina Charles — UConn
Kelsey Griffin — Nebraska
Monica Wright —Virginia
Jantel Lavender — Ohio State
Second Team
Andrea Riley — Oklahoma State
Nnemka Ogwumike — Stanford
Jayne Appel — Stanford
Alysha Clark — Middle Tennessee State
Brittney Griner — Baylor
Third Team
Danielle Robinson — Oklahoma
Jasmine Thomas — Duke
Victoria Dunlap — Kentucky
Elena Delle Donne — Delaware
Amber Harris — Xavier
Honorable Mention
Danielle Adams (Texas A&M), Kachine Alexander (Iowa), Angie Bjorklund (Tennessee), Alyssa DeHaan (Michigan State), Skylar Diggings (Notre Dame), Dawn Evans (James Madison), Rachele Fitz (Marist) Tyra Grant (Penn State), Alexis Gray-Lawson (California), Kalana Greene (Connecticut), Allison Hightower (LSU), Alison Lacey (Iowa State), Judie Lomax (Columbia), Kevi Luper (Oral Roberts), Gabriela Marginiean (Drexel), Nicole Michael (Syracuse), Jacinta Monroe (Florida State), Kayla Pedersen (Stanford), Ta’Shia Phillips (Xavier), Samantha Prahalis (Ohio State), Chastity Reed (Arkansas-Little Rock), Sugar Rodgers (Georgetown), Lindsey Schraeder (Notre Dame), Tanisha Smith (Texas A&M)
LIVE NCAA WBB Sweet 16: No. 4 Iowa State v. No. 1 Connecticut
2nd Half: 7:42 remaining - Moore is now on the bench and will more than likely be kept out for the remainder of the game as Connecticut is ahead 71-24. The Cyclones continue to struggle with turnovers, turning the ball over 17 times.
Connecticut 71
Iowa State 24
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2nd Half: 10:57 remaining - Another 13-2 run for the Huskies has all but sealed the game for Connecticut. With a 46-point deficit, the Cyclones find themselves close to elimination.
Connecticut 67
Iowa State 21
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2nd Half: 15:51 remaining - Moore’s time on the bench due to foul trouble has not seemed to bother her. She began the second half with four quick points and has a total of seven second half points just five minutes in. Moore has now scored 23 points for the game as the Huskies continue to create distance between them and the Cyclones.
Connecticut 52
Iowa State 19
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Halftime: Connecticut 42 Iowa State 14
The Cyclones have not seen many of their shots fall in the first half. Iowa State is shooting 6-26 from the field with a lot of misses coming from shots rattling in and out of the hoop. Prins, Stuckey and Bolte have combined for three points and one made field goal. Lacey leads the Cyclones with seven points but has no assists while turning the ball over four times.
For Connecticut, Maya Moore and Tina Charles have combined for 10 field goals and 27 points. Moore has been nearly perfect; making all of her three-point and free throw attempts while going a 5-7 from the field. Charles has had her way with the Cyclones posts, grabbing six rebounds and scoring 11 points.
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1st Half: 3:31 remaining - Chelsea Poppens’ layup with 4:04 remaining ended a nearly three-minute scoring drought for the Cyclones. Connecticut ’s Maya Moore has not been on the floor since the 10:36 mark but yet the Huskies have not had any trouble scoring in her absence.
Connecticut 37
Iowa State 14
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1st Half: 6:07 remaining - Connecticut has gone on a 13-2 scoring run and now lead 32-12. Iowa State is shooting just 5-19 from the field and is being out rebounded 15 to eight. The Cyclones have made just two three’s while Connecticut - not primarily known as a three-point shooting team - is shooting 6-11 from three-point territory.
Connecticut 32
Iowa State 12
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1st Half: 15: 31 remaining - Moore is 4-4 from beyond the arc and Connecticut now holds a 15-point lead. The Cyclones cut the lead to 19-10 when Anna Prins hit her first three-point shot, but Moore and Caroline Doty both hit three’s on consecutive UCONN possessions to make it a double-digit lead once again.
Connecticut 25
Iowa State 10
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1st Half: 16:16 Remaining - Behind eight Maya Moore points, including two three-pointers, Connecticut has taken an early 12-2 lead over Iowa State. The Cyclones have not shot the ball well to start the game, they are currently 1-5 from the field. Connecticut has come out strong with a 4-6 shooting performance that has helped them take the early lead.
Connecticut 12
Iowa State 2
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In a rematch of the 1999 Sweet 16 game during the NCAA Tournament, fourth-seeded Iowa State will play first overall seed Connecticut. The Huskies enter Sunday’s game winning 74 straight games, including a 35-0 record this season.
Iowa State holds a 25-7 record this year and hopes to make a repeat trip to the Elite Eight with a win over tournament favorite Connecticut.
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Lineups
Iowa State
33 Chelsea Poppens - F
55 Anna Prins - C
4 Alison Lacey - G
10 Denae Stuckey - G
11 Kelsey Bolte - G
Connecticut
23 Maya Moore - F
31 Tina Charles - C
32 Kalana Greene - G
3 Tiffany Hayes - G
5 Caroline Doty - G
WBB Blog: No. 4 Iowa State vs. No. 12 Wisconsin-Green Bay
FINAL - IOWA STATE 60, WISCONSIN-GREEN BAY 56
SECOND HALF
0:00: Lacey is good on one of two and a final second heave is once again intercepted, this time by Stuckey. Iowa State barely escapes to advance to their second Sweet 16 in as many years.
0:01: Bolte is money on her second attempt from the line and Lacey steals the baseball pass from Green Bay and is once again fouled. Iowa State to the line to try to ice the game as they currently lead 59-56 with 1.6 left.
0:03: On her second attempt, Lacey successfully gets the ball in to Bolte, who is immediately fouled and will shoot two, as it was Green Bay’s 10th foul of the game. Bolte makes the first to put Iowa State up 58-56 and Green Bay calls a timeout to plan for a desperation shot a victory.
0:04: Green Bay steps on the baseline during a drive to the hoop for a turnover. Iowa State is set to inbound the ball under the basket with 4.3 seconds to go and a 57-56 lead.
0:08: Green Bay comes up empty during ten seconds of great defense by Iowa State. Hoewisch picks up her dribble and promptly calls another timeout to draw up another play for a chance at the win.
0:18: Well folks, it all comes down to this. We’ve got 17.9 ticks left on the clock and Green Bay has the ball after Bolte rims out an open three for the Cyclones. Timeour Phoenix, who will likely play for the last shot and the win.
0:45: Bolte finally nails a three after coming up empty on her previous four attempts. 57-56 Cyclones, who not get the ball back after a Green Bay miss on the other end.
2:00: A shot underneath the basket from Poppens has Iowa State reclaim the lead for the second time in the game at 54-53. Tetschlag continues to be clutch for Green Bay as she nails her fourth three-pointer of the game as the shot clock expires to put the Phoenix back up 56-54.
3:22: Poppens misses the front end of the one-and-one, giving possession to Green Bay who promptly throws the ball out of bounds. Iowa State draws another foul on the other send, sending Schroll to the line for a one-and-one, where she also misses the front end to give possession back to the Phoenix.
3:53: Bolte drops a baseline layup and the Cyclones force a Green Bay pass out of bounds on the ensuing possession. Two offensive rebounds by Poppens leads to a foul from Eichler, which was her fifth and Green Bay’s seventh of the half. Poppens is going to the line for a one-and-one after the end of the final media timeout with Green Bay still clinging to a 53-52 lead.
5:02: One made free throw by Lacey follows two more from Green Bay. The Phoenix are now a perfect 10/10 from the foul line in the game and maintain a 53-50 lead. A rebound by Poppens at the other end gives the Cyclones the ball back down three.
5:58: Eichman’s fourth foul sends Stuckey to the line for two, where she hits one. Following a Green Bay layup, the Phoenix lead 51-49. Poppens is back on the floor for Iowa State with four fouls.
7:17: Green Bay back on top with a pair of free throws, and Iowa State lets two possessions go scoreless after a pair of missed threes by Bolte. A foul by Stuckey has the Phoenix going back to the charity stripe, where they haven’t missed a shot all game. At the third media timeout of the second half, it’s 49-48 Green Bay.
8:29: Green Bay responds with a baseline jumper, but Iowa State responds with a three from none other than Denae Stuckey, a seldom used play on offense. Iowa State grabs it’s first lead of the game at 48-47. Also, Poppens registers her fourth foul of the game at the 10:37 mark, likely sending her to the bench for a significant amount of time. Schroll back on the floor for the Cyclones.
11:18: A layup from Lacey followed by a steal and a breakaway lead to a Chelsea Poppens free throw, which has the Cyclones tied with the Phoenix at 45-45. Iowa State has not led the entire game.
11:53: Offensive possessions for Iowa State are starting to look a lot like they did early in the first half: inefficient and listless. Thankfully for the Cyclones, Green Bay isn’t doing much on offense either. Two offensive rebounds by Amanda Zimmerman have the Cyclones back within three at 45-42, and a traveling violation by Green Bay has the ball back in Iowa State’s hands when we return from the second media timeout.
14:14: Bolte connects on another three to pull the Cyclones back within five. Poppens checks back into the game for Zimmerman as the Cyclones trail 45-40.
14:35: Iowa State continues to commit costly turnovers. Green Bay runs their lead back up to eight at 45-37 due to two more transition buckets after Cyclone miscues. Bill Fennelly calls a timeout out of frustration to corral his team and try to calm them down.
15:31: Prins continues to have Iowa State’s hot hand from downtown as she connects on her third trey of the game. Lacey’s second field goal of the game has the Cyclones down 41-37.
16:53: Iowa State commits a few costly turnovers as Green Bay makes the Cyclones pay. Five unanswered points (including their first three of the half) has Green Bay back up 39-32.
18:08: A bit of bad news for Cyclone fans as Poppens makes her third foul of the game and rolls an ankle in the process. She’s headed to the bench in lieu of Schroll.
18:37: Celeste Hoewisch, Green Bay’s leading scorer with 23 against Virginia on Sunday, just committed her third fould of the game and is headed to the bench. Meanwhile, Anna Prins takes advantage of the miscue and drains her second trey of the game. Iowa State pulls within two at 34-32.
HALFTIME - Wisconsin-Green Bay 34, Iowa State 29
Halftime Leaders: Iowa State
Points: Schroll 9, Prins 7, Lacey 6
Rebounds: Poppens, Stuckey, Schroll, Williams 3
Assists: Lacey, Stuckey 2
Foul Trouble: Poppens 2
Halftime Leaders: UW-Green Bay
Points: Tetschlag 18
Rebounds: Wojta 4
Assists: Eichler 3
Foul Trouble: Hoewisch, Eichler, Wojta, Golden 2 (all four starters except Tetschlag)
Green Bay currently holds a 16-15 lead on rebounds, which is a main reason why they’re ahead at half. Iowa State is shooting just 3/13 (23.1%) from the three-point line and only has five assists on nine made baskets.
FIRST HALF
0:00: Green Bay holds for the last shot but travels with 1.7 seconds to go. The Cyclones turn the ball over with an errant pass off the inbound and Green Bay connects on a full-court baseball pass to hit a runner in the lane as time expires. Going into the locker room it’s 34-29 Green Bay.
0:26: Iowa State gives up a chance to tie after creating another Green Bay turnover as Lacey misses her sixth straight three-pointer of the game. The Phoenix has called a timeout to set up what will likely be the last shot of the half as they still cling to a 32-29 lead.
1:10: Schroll to the rescue once again. The freshman reserve completes an old-fashioned three-point play with a basket and a free throw to get Green Bay’s lead down to three at 32-29.
1:22: Bolte has hit her first three-pointer of the game to bring Iowa State within 6 at 32-26. They got a miss from Green Bay at the other end, but it’s still dumbfounding to see how many easy shots the Phoenix are getting in the lane despite Iowa State’s huge size advantage.
2:10: Schroll puts two more free throws down, and is likely the MVP for the Cyclones so far, as she has provided a spark off the bench for this struggling offense. 29-23 Green Bay.
2:22: Another unfamiliar sight for the Cyclones: Jessica Schroll hits a three pointer, just her second of the season. Iowa State is starting to get better looks at the basket, but still keeps giving up easy baskets in the lane to the Phoenix At the final media timeout, Green Bay still leads 29-21.
6:04: Finally, the Phoenix is beginning to miss some of their three-point attempts, coming up empty on their last three. Iowa State has gotten a few baskets in the lane, including the first points of the game for Kelsey Bolte. Kayla Tetschlag is pulling her weight for the Phoenix, as she has scored 17 of their points in this game by going 6-7 from the floor. At the third of four media timeouts, it’s 24-16 Green Bay.
8:32: It’s the first sign on foul trouble for Iowa State, as Chelsea Poppens just picked up her second of the half. She also sat the majority of the first half on Sunday against Lehigh due to foul trouble, but came back with a vengeance, getting 16 points and 6 rebounds in the second half. To deepen the pain, Green Bay just hit another open three and currently leads 22-12.
10:00: Iowa State continues to rack up fouls on Green Bay. They are currently 5/6 from the line as Lacey and Jessie Schroll have tacked on three more. Green Bay, however, continues to make open threes, and it’s a 17-12 lead for the Phoenix.
11:37: Lacey hits both foul shots and the Cyclones draw yet another foul, and the Phoenix already have 7 personal fouls thus far. Four of those seven belong to Celeste Hoewisch (GB’s leading scorer on Sunday) and fellow starter Julie Wojta, who have two apiece. Lacey is headed to the line for a one-and-one as we head to the second media timeout of the half.
13:03: An extremely rare occurrence: I think I just saw Alison Lacey shoot an airball for the first time in my life. Iowa State still struggling to score, but the defense is still holding on. Another long jumper by Prins has the Cyclones down 12-7 as Lacey is heading to the charity stripe for two shots.
15:35: Iowa State is finally on the board as Anna Prins nails a three-pointer from the top of the key. However, Green Bay has made four of four free throws to extend their lead to 10-3 at the first media timeout.
17:23: It’s been a very, very slow first few minutes for the Cyclones. The Green Bay defense is all over the Iowa State perimeter, and the Cyclones have yet to get off a good open look at the basket. Not one shot from Iowa State has come from inside the lane yet, where they have a huge size advantage. On the other end of the floor, Green Bay has connected on its first two three-point attempts, and they currently lead 6-0.
STARTING LINEUP
The starting five is no different than usual for the Cyclones, with a familiar quintet ready to take the floor for the opening tip.
4 Alison Lacey G 6′0” Sr.
10 Denae Stuckey G 5′8” Sr.
11 Kelsey Bolte G 6′1” Jr.
33 Chelsea Poppens F 6′2” Fr.
55 Anna Prins C 6′7” Fr.
PREGAME
We’re back at Hilton Coliseum for round two of the Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament where the Iowa State Cyclones will match up with the Phoenix of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The Phoenix is the lowest seed to survive the first round as they upset No. 5 Virginia in a 69-67 nailbiter
A 17-3 run in the middle of the first half catapulted Green Bay to a 34-27 halftime lead, which they strengthened to a 16-point lead in the second half before a furious Virginia comeback brought them within one in the final minute. However, poor free throw shooting proved to be the demise for the Cavaliers, who missed five of six from the charity stripe in the final two minutes.
Green Bay’s athletic, scrappy style may be a challenge for the Cyclones, who play a similar offensive style as the Phoenix. Look for Iowa State to use their height to their advantage, as four of Iowa State’s starters are equally as tall or taller than Green Bay’s tallest starter. Freshmen posts Anna Prins and Chelsea Poppens did exactly that on Sunday against Lehigh, as they score 39 of Iowa State’s points combined in a 79-42 dismantling of the Mountain Hawks.
NCAA WBB: No. 4 Iowa State University v. No. 13 Lehigh University
FINAL - ISU: 79 LEH: 42
Every ISU player played during Sunday’s first round win over Lehigh and the Cyclones will now advance to the second round and play No. 12 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay on Tuesday at Hilton Coliseum.
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2nd Half - 3:45 remaining: Poppens’ first half was slow with only two points and two rebounds. Since, the freshman forward has gone 4-5 from the field and a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line for a total of 18 points. Poppens also has increased her rebound total to eight, grabbing six boards in the second half.
ISU: 71
LEH: 41
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2nd Half - 7:48 remaining: Sophomore guard Whitney Williams has found her shot. Since going 0-3 from the field, Williams has hit two three’s to give her six points. Iowa State has a commanding 24-point lead and now has a majority of its starters sitting on the bench.
ISU: 59
LEH: 35
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2nd Half - 11:37 remaining: Iowa State has seemingly put the game out of reach for the Mountain Hawks. The Cyclones have outscored Lehigh 16-10 in the second half with Prins, Bolte and Poppens doing much of the second half scoring. Lacey has continued to look good on offense. With two more assists in the half, Lacey now has seven for the game; three more than Lehigh has as a team.
ISU: 51
LEH: 30
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2nd Half - 15:15 remaining: Iowa State has extended its lead to 18. Bolte and Poppens have combined for 10 early points in the second half and the ISU defense has prevented Lehigh from getting many open shots at the basket.
Lehigh’s Prosser finally made her first field goal of the game. It was a three-pointer, one-minute into the second half. Since then, the Mountain Hawks have struggled offensively.
ISU: 48
LEH: 30
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Halftime: Both teams traded shots for the last three minutes of the first half but two three-pointers by Lehigh was still not enough as the Cyclones have a 35-20 lead at the half.
Iowa State has made its game plan clear. With the Cyclones holding a clear height advantage, Prins has scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead both teams in both categories.
Lacey has not shown any signs of rust. The Cyclones’ captain has scored seven points and has a game high five assists over 20 minutes of play.
Lehigh has gotten off to a slow start offensively. Junior guard Erica Prosser entered the game leading the Mountain Hawks in scoring but only has two points and is shooting 0-5 from the field. Prosser also led the Patriot League in assists per game but has been held to just one assist while committing two turnovers.
ISU: 35
LEH: 20
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1st Half - 3:49 remaining: Iowa State has increased its lead to 13 off back to back three’s from Prins and junior guard Kelsey Bolte. Lehigh has had trouble taking care of the ball. Since cutting the lead to nine, the Mountain Hawks have committed three turnovers.
ISU: 25
LEH: 12
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1st Half - 7:49 Remaining: Lehigh has come back to cut the lead to nine points. Senior guard Tricia Smith hit a three-pointer and Sophomore forward Emily Gratch made two free throws and Lehigh trails 19-10.
ISU: 19
LEH: 10
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1st Half - 11:27 remaining: Lacey hit a 25-foot three to extend the Cyclones lead to 12-0. Lacey has also dished out two assists including Zimmerman’s two-point basket that gave her five points off the bench. Lehigh finally got on the board with a Kristen Dalton free throw and senior guard Alex Ross made her first field goal of the night to give Lehigh three points.
ISU: 14
LEH: 3
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1st Half - 15:53 remaining: Freshman center Anna Prins has four early points to lead all scorers and help give the Cyclones an early 7-0 advantage over Lehigh. Freshman forward Amanda Zimmerman has come off the bench to score three points.
ISU: 7
LEH: 0
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Senior guard Alison Lacey has returned to the lineup after missing three straight games due to illness. Iowa State’s last game was the first round loss to Oklahoma State in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. With Lacey back in the lineup, Iowa State hopes to take advantage of its home court advantage for the first two rounds and make a return trip to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
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ISU Starters:
33 Chelsea Poppens - F
55 Anna Prins - C
11 Kelsey Bolte - G
10 Denae Stuckey - G
4 Alison Lacey - G
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Lehigh Starters
22 Emily Gratch - F
34 Alexa Williams - F
21 Erica Prosser - G
45 Alex Ross - G
44 Tricia Smith - G
NCAA WB: No. 5 Virginia vs. No. 12 Wisconsin-Green Bay
FINAL - Wisconsin-Green Bay 69, Virginia 67
Virginia cut the Green Bay deficit to as little as one in the final minute, but the Phoenix never relinquished the lead they had held since the 5:18 mark of the first half. Three consecutive trips to the free throw line proved to be the demise of the Cavaliers, as they missed five of six shots from the charity stripe within a two minute span.
The win in Green Bay’s tenth in it’s last 11 games, and the Phoenix will advance to play the winner of tonight’s Iowa State/Lehigh match, set to tip about a half hour from now.
Celeste Hoewisch led the Phoenix with 23 points from 13 made free throws in the win.
ACC Player of the Year Monica Wright led the Cavaliers (21-10) with 34 points, eight rebounds, and six steals in the losing effort, as Virginia lost four of its final five games of the season.
SECOND HALF
11:15: After all of the runs made by each team in the first half, the second half has been much of the same. Green Bay continued to stay hot out of the break, extending their lead to 49-33 early on. Virginia proceeded to cut Green Bay’s lead to 10 at 51-41, but the Phoenix promptly scored on their next three possessions to open the lead back up. It’s been all Green Bay thus far in the second half, as they lead 56-43 at the second media timeout.
HALFTIME - Wisconsin-Green Bay 34, Virginia 27
A 17-3 run by the Phoenix in the middle stages of the first half allowed them to claim a seven-point halftime lead in the first of today’s opening round games at Hilton Coliseum. Green Bay has been incredibly scrappy all game and has really started to frustrate the much bigger Cavaliers on offense. The Phoenix have taken numerous charges and are outrebounding (23-11) Virginia thus far.Green Bay is taking advantage of Virginia’s propensity to give up fouls, as they’re shooting 17-18 from the free throw line as every Cavalier player has registered a foul.
Although the Cavaliers are the top seed in this matchup, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Iowa State fans and staff members pulling for Virginia in the second half, as this scrappy bunch from Green Bay can cause problems for any offense, especially one that can be inconsistent as Iowa State’s has proven to be.
In another note, the crowd on hand for Virginia/Green Bay is absolutely fantastic. No numbers released yet, but I’d really like to know how this crowd measures up to those of teams playing at home right now (say, Texas vs. San Diego State in Austin).
FIRST HALF
11:52: So far in the first half Virginia has been using every bit of it’s size advantage to it’s benefit. However, they aren’t doing it in the typical fashion that you may think of. Instead of pounding the ball in down low, the Cavaliers are pulling up for clear jump shots over their smaller opponents, many of which are finding the bottom of the net (63.6%). A scrappy UW-GB team keeps holding on with scrappy play (drawing charges, getting steals, cutting through the lane) and has managed to keep the game close and very low scoring. At the second media timeout, Virginia leads 14-9.
PREGAME
Prior to Iowa State’s (23-7) first-round matchup with Lehigh (29-3), we bring to you to 5/12 matchup between the Virginia Cavaliers (21-9) and the Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix (27-4). These four teams round out one of the toughest regions in the women’s bracket this year, as it includes regular season champions from the Horizon League (UW-GB) and the Patriot League (Lehigh), as well as the recently-named ACC Player of the year in Virginia’s Monica Wright.
Just behind still-undefeated Connecticut and Nebraska (30-1), Wisconsin Green-Bay was the third to last team to remain undefeated this season, a they began the year with a 16 game winning streak.
As of this time, it is still yet to be seen whether Iowa State’s First Team All-Big 12 point guard and Lieberman Award Finalist Alison Lacey will play in her first game in over three weeks (pneumonia).
Stay tuned for occasional updates from Hilton Coliseum for the matchup of the Cavaliers and Phoenix, which will determine who will play the winner of tonight’s Iowa State/Lehigh game on Tuesday evening at 8:30. Tip off is just 10 minutes away.
Iowa State seeded fourth in NCAA Tournament
After ending the regular season second in the Big 12 standings and finishing with a 23-7 record, Iowa State has been seeded fourth in the Dayton, Ohio region.
The Cyclones will play the 13th-seeded Lehigh Mountain Hawks who finished first in the Patriot League standings.
Perhaps the most difficult challenge will be the region’s number one seed. The University of Connecticut Huskies are the number one overall seed and take an NCAA record 72-game win streak into the tournament.
Iowa State will play host to the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Hilton Coliseum will be the site where the Cyclones play their first game as well as the five and 12 seed game between Virginia and Wisconsin-Green Bay.
The Cyclones’ first round game against Lehigh is scheduled for a 8:30 p.m. start at Hilton Coliseum this Sunday.
Second Round Big 12 Tournament Coverage: Iowa State v. Oklahoma State - Live
FINAL SCORE
Oklahoma State 62 Iowa State 59
Recap to be online shortly.
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2nd Half - :09.6 remaining: Oklahoma State sent Denae Stuckey to the line for two free throws to prevent a potential game tying three. Stuckey hit both and the Cyclones are trailing by one.
Oklahoma State 60 Iowa State 59
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2nd Half - :12.9 remaining: Andrea Riley just hit two free throws to give the Cowgirls a 60-57 lead.
Oklahoma State 60 Iowa State 57
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2nd Half - 1:55 remaining: Kelsey Bolte’s third three-pointer has cut the Cowgirls’ lead to 56-55. Andrea Riley has 37 points for the Cowgirls as the Cyclones continue to try and find a way to stop her.
Oklahoma State 56 Iowa State 55
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2nd Half - 3:44 remaining: Andrea Riley has 35 and her two-point jumper just gave the Cowgirls a 54-50 lead over the Cyclones.
Oklahoma State 54 Iowa State 50
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2nd Half - 6:54 remaining: Whitney Williams just made her second three to regain the lead for the Cyclones at 47-44. Riley answered by driving through a heavily guarded lane to make a layup and cut the lead to 47-46. Riley now has 29 points and leads all scorers. Anna Prins is the Cyclones’ leading scorer with 15.
Oklahoma State 46 Iowa State 47
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2nd Half - 11:11 remaining: Iowa State has come back to take a 40-39 lead. Kelsey Bolte’s three with 12:54 remaining gave the Cyclones a 38-35 lead. Andrea Riley continues to keep the Cowgirls in the game but is only shooting 9-31 from the field.
Oklahoma State 39 Iowa State 40
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Halftime - A strong defensive effort has slowed down Andrea Riley and the Cowgirls. The Cyclones have trailed by as many as 13 but now find themselves trailing by two at the half.
Oklahoma State 24 Iowa State 22
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1st Half - 3:41 remaining: The Cyclones have cut the lead to single digits. Oklahoma State still holds a 24-17 lead, but thanks to a Kelsey Bolte three-pointer, Iowa State is back into the game.
Oklahoma State 24 Iowa State 17
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1st Half - 7:59 remaining: Iowa State is starting to come back. Riley added three more points with a three-point play to give the Cowgirls a 22-7 lead. However, the Cyclones have gone a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 10. Whitney Williams hit a three-pointer that got the Cyclones to within 10.
Oklahoma State 22 Iowa State 12
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1st Half - 12:57 remaining: Riley refuses to let up, scoring five more points and making one more three to give the Cowgirls a 19-7 lead over Iowa State.
Oklahoma State 19 Iowa State 7
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1st Half - 15:10 remaining: Andrea Riley is 2-2 from beyond the arc and has scored eight of Oklahoma State’s first 11 points to give the Cowgirls the lead at 11-6. Whitney Williams converted on a three-point play earlier to cut the lead to 5-4 but the Cyclones have since allowed the Cowgirls to go on a 6-2 run.
Oklahoma State 11 Iowa State 6
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Second-seeded Iowa State will begin its run for a third Big 12 Tournament championship by facing seventh-seeded Oklahoma State at 5 P.M. on Friday. Senior guard Alison Lacey is doubtful for the game. Coach Bill Fennelly has said she is feeling better but has no plans for playing her against the Cowgirls.
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Projected Lineups:
Iowa State:
2 - Whitney Williams
10 - Denae Stuckey
11 - Kelsey Bolte
33 - Chelsea Poppens
55 - Anna Prins
UPDATE: Whitney Williams will start in place of Alison Lacey. However, Lacey is suited up and could potentially play during tonight’s game.
Oklahoma State:
00 - Lakyn Garrison
10 - Andrea Riley
1 - Tegan Cunningham
15 - Toni Young
33 - Megan Byford
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