Iowa State holds off WVU
Emily Ryan and Lexi Donarski each scored 14 points to lead No. 10-ranked Iowa State against West Virginia, 66-60, Friday night in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Conference tournament in Kansas City, Mo.
After being down by as many as 21 in the third quarter, the Mountaineers clawed back to within in four with 16 seconds to play after Esmery Martinez hit a long 3-pointer.
But Donarski made three free throws in the final minute to thwart West Virginia’s comeback hopes.
The Cyclones (26-5) went 11 of 13 from the free-throw line and shot 32% for the game.
One of the best 3-point shooting teams in Division I, Iowa State hit 11 3s. Ashley Joens had 13 points and 14 rebounds, but was just 4 of 16 from the field.
West Virginia (14-15) shot 25 of 68 (37%), was outrebounded, 52-39, and made only three of 20 3-point attempts. Martinez had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Ja’Naiya Quinerly added 15.
Midway through the second quarter Iowa State led by two, but a 12-0 run pushed the Cyclones’ lead to 38-24.
Other tournaments
Big 12: Big 12 player of the year NaLyssa Smith scored 15 points as Baylor (26-5) shut out Oklahoma State (9-20) into the second quarter and the No. 4 Bears rolled the rest of the way to a 76-36 victory in the quarterfinals in Kansas City, Mo. ... Madi Williams had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists and Taylor Robertson also scored 19 points as No. 21 Oklahoma (24-7) beat Kansas (20-9), 80-68. ... Lauren Ebo scored 17 points and 10 rebounds and Aliyah Matharu added 15 off the bench to lead No. 5 Texas (24-6) past Kansas State (19-12) in a 7265 win.
Big Sky: Darian White scored 17 points and Leia Beattie added 16 as Montana State (22-12) earned its third NCAA tournament berth with a 75-64 win against Northern Arizona (17-14) in the conference tournament title game in Boise, Idaho.
Big West: Hawaii (18-9) had little trouble with UC Riverside (14-10) earning a 69-55 semifinal win in Las Vegas behind 22 points and 13 rebounds by Amy Atwell. ... UC Irvine (21-10) held on for a 84-75 overtime win against UC Davis (15-13).
Ivy League: Abby Meyers scored 22 points and Ellie Mitchell had 11 points and 16 rebounds for her sixth double-double as visiting No. 24 Princeton (23-4) beat Harvard (13-14), 72-67, in the Ivy League semifinals in the final game for coaching icon Kathy Delaney-Smith. ... Columbia (22-5) won in a runaway, 6738, against visiting Yale (1611). Jaida Patrick scored 23 for the Lions in the win.
MAC: Sydney Freeman scored 19 points to lead Ball State (20-11) past Toledo (26-5), 71-66, in the semifinal game in Cleveland, Ohio. ... Buffalo (24-8) had little trouble with Akron (17-11) as Diaisha Fair scored 28 points and Georgia Woolley added 20 in the 82-43 win.