The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
21-1, 10-1
Iowa State
12-10, 4-7
No. 6/6 Women's Hoops picks up first win at Iowa State since 2009, 65-49
02.06.2016 | Women's Basketball
Sophomore Ariel Atkins recorded her first career double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Box Score (PDF) | Postgame Notes
AMES, Iowa— Sophomore Ariel Atkins led all scorers with 22 points and 11 rebounds to record her first career double-double and drive No. 6/6 Texas past Iowa State inside Hilton Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.
With the win, Texas (21-1, 10-1 Big 12 Conference) snatched its first win at Iowa State since February 15, 2009. The Cyclones lead the all-time series, 17-13, but the Horns have won both contests this season.
"Our team hasn't won here since 2009, and I can't discount the fact that we have players that may have a mental block with some of these road games," Texas head coach Karen Aston said. "I think the one thing that came out of this is that they may now understand you can't lose your focus."
Along with recording her first double-double, Atkins notched her career-high in both points and boards. Senior Empress Davenport added 13 points and six rebounds on the game, while junior Kelsey Lang had 10 points, brought down a season-high nine boards, and swatted three blocks. Senior Celina Rodrigo led the team with six assists and four steals to complement seven rebounds.
As a team, Texas shot 36.1 percent (26-of-72) from the floor while holding Iowa State to a 31.5 shooting percentage (17-of-54). The Horns outrebounded the Cyclones, 52-33, and outblocked Iowa State, 7-5.
Iowa State (12-10, 4-7 Big 12 Conference) was led by redshirt sophomore Jadda Buckley, who finished with 19 points in the contest.
After the Horns jumped out to a fast 8-2 lead, the Cyclones cut their deficit to one after netting the first triple of the game and adding a layup at the five-minute mark. Points would be hard to come by from there, but Texas would add two baskets from junior Brianna Taylor and Lang to close the first quarter leading 12-7.
The second half got off to another slow offensive start, but Iowa State found its footing behind freshman Bridget Carleton after two free throws and a layup to tie things at 16 with 3:32 remaining in the half. Perfect efforts from the line on both sides would keep things even, and the teams would head into the half tied at 20.
Iowa State took its first lead of the game, 24-22, after a layup at the 7:11 mark of the third. The Cyclones extended their lead to as many as four, but Texas gained control once again after a Lang jumper with 1:50 remaining in the quarter (36-35 Texas). The Longhorns closed on a 7-2 run, and a Rodrigo triple ended the quarter, 43-39 Texas.
The Horns used the fourth quarter to separate themselves from the Cyclones, outscoring the host team 22-10. A layup from sophomore Brooke McCarty with 3:50 remaining gave Texas its first double-digit lead of the game, 57-47, and the Longhorns used the momentum to push away in the remaining minutes and close out the game, 65-49.
Up next, Texas will host Oklahoma State on Wednesday, Feb. 10 inside the Frank Erwin Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT, and the game will be carried live on Longhorn Network.
