The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
8-1,2-0Big 12
Iowa State
6-4,2-1Big 12
No. 19 Women’s Basketball battles past Iowa State, 74-59
01.03.2021 | Women's Basketball
The Longhorns dominated the boards, 43-31, and rang up 22 second-chance points off 19 offensive rebounds
AUSTIN, Texas – On Sunday afternoon at the Frank Erwin Center, No. 19 Texas (8-1, 2-0 Big 12 Conference) used its tough pressure defense to force 17 turnovers, hit nine three-pointers and boasted five scorers in double figures to battle past Iowa State (6-4, 2-1 Big 12 Conference), 74-59.
Junior guard Joanne Allen-Taylor led the way offensively for the Longhorns with 16 points while adding four assists, three rebounds and two steals. Junior forward/center Charli Collier registered her sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and 14 rebounds, redshirt sophomore guard Karisma Ortiz hit a career-high four threes on her way to a 14-point, five-rebound, two-assist effort, freshman forward DeYona Gaston scored 13 points, grabbed eight boards and blocked three Cyclone shots and senior guard Kyra Lambert added 10 points and a season-best seven assists.
The Burnt Orange & White defense turned 17 Iowa State miscues into 18 points and held the Big 12's top three-point shooting team (88 made threes coming in) to just 4-for-14 (28.6%) behind the arc.
It was Iowa State that jumped to an early lead as five points from Kristin Scott helped the Cyclones to a quick 7-3 advantage.
That's when Gaston took over for the Longhorns as the Pearland, Texas, native grabbed an offensive rebound and a put-back bucket, drilled a jumper from the free-throw line and converted a lay-up for six straight points to boost UT in front 9-7 with 6:06 remaining in the opening quarter.
ISU answered right back with a 5-0 run before consecutive buckets from Allen-Taylor and Gaston pushed Texas back to the lead, 13-12.
After a Celeste Taylor two pushed Texas in front by a pair, Iowa State finished the first quarter on a 6-0 run to lead 20-16.
Triple-teamed over the opening 10 minutes, Collier scored six points over the opening 4:09 of the second quarter to help the Longhorns regain the advantage, 25-24.
From there, the nip-and-tuck affair continued as Iowa State secured what turned out to be its final lead of the contest at 30-29 on a Lexi Donarski three-ball with 2:41 to go in the half.
Tied at 33-all with 27 seconds left, Ortiz drained one from behind the arc to send the two teams to the locker room with UT up, 36-33.
Out of the halftime break, Texas took control with a 7-0 spurt as a Gaston bucket and five straight points from Allen-Taylor granted UT its largest lead thus far at 43-33 and forced an ISU timeout with 7:45 left in the third.
Donarski hit a three out of the timeout, but Ortiz answered right back at the other end with her own triple as the Texas advantage expanded to 11.
The two squads continued to battle back-and-forth over the remainder of the quarter as a Lambert three-pointer ended the third with the Longhorns in charge, 60-49.
Another Lambert three to open the fourth quarter, and a pair of Collier free throws, boosted the Texas advantage as high as 16 points at 65-49 with 9:12 to go.
Iowa State would claw its way back within nine on a pair of Donarski charity tosses with 3:49 to play, but Collier would manage six tough points down the stretch to seal Texas' 15-point triumph.
Texas Women's Basketball Postgame Notes
Iowa State 59, #19 Texas 74
January 3, 2020
Frank Erwin Center (Austin, Texas)
Team Notes
- With today's win over Iowa State, Texas is off to a 2-0 start in the Big 12 Conference for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
- Texas improved to 11-7 all-time against Iowa State in Austin and has now won the last three meetings at the Erwin Center. The Longhorns also trimmed their overall series deficit versus the Cyclones to 21-20.
- With a 15-point win over the Cyclones, all eight of Texas' victories this season have come by double-digits.
- Texas had five scorers reach double figures for the fifth time this season. UT also performed the feat in wins over Louisiana Tech, North Texas, SMU and Drake.
- Texas' nine made three-pointers were its second-most of the season, trailing on the 12 the Longhorns hit against Idaho [Dec. 9].
- Iowa State's seven assists tied for the fewest allowed by Texas in a game this season (Lamar, Louisiana Tech).
- Iowa State entered as the Big 12 Conference's top team in three-pointers made with 88. Texas limited the Cyclones to just 4-for-14 from behind the arc [28.6%].
- Texas is off to an 8-1 start for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
- Gaston registered three blocks against the Cyclones to raise her team-leading total to 17.
- Allen-Taylor's 16 points were the most she's ever scored in a Big 12 Conference game.
- Allen-Taylor reached double-figure scoring for the eighth straight contest. That's the longest such streak of her career.
- Against the Cyclones, Allen-Taylor played all 40 minutes for the first time in her collegiate career.
- Allen-Taylor's six made field goals tied her career-high. It's the fifth time she's reached that number at Texas.
- Today's 14-point, 14-rebound effort marked Collier's sixth double-double of the season and 22nd of her career.
- Collier posted her 41st career game in double-figure scoring and her 25th career game with double-figure rebounding.
- Collier has been in double figures for scoring in all nine of Texas' games this season.
- Ortiz' four made three-pointers were a career-high.
- Ortiz' 14 points were the second-most of her career.
- Lambert's seven assists were the most of her Texas career and the most by any Longhorns player in a single game in 2020-21.
