by AMES, Iowa — Double-doubles from Achol Akot and Stailee Heard helped push Oklahoma State’s women’s basketball team past Iowa State 88-77 on Wednesday night.
With the conference win, the Cowgirls improved to 22-8 overall and 11-6 in Big 12 play, while Iowa State dropped to 21-8 and 9-8 in the conference.
The Cyclones jumped out to a 13-3 lead before a 12-point run led by Heard put Oklahoma State in front. Iowa State ended the run with a 3-pointer, but Jadyn Wooten closed the first quarter with a midrange jumper to tie the game heading into the second.
To open the second quarter, Iowa State again stretched its lead to seven points. Akot responded, scoring nine straight points to tie the game. Lena Girardi hit a 3-pointer with 2 minutes remaining to give the Cowgirls the lead, but the Cyclones answered at the buzzer to send the teams into halftime tied.
Oklahoma State scored first in the third quarter as the teams battled back and forth for control. Heard recorded her double-double early in the period after being fouled on a fast break. The Cowgirls went on a 9-0 run with less than 4 minutes remaining but could not hold the lead. The Cyclones responded, and an Akot layup at the buzzer tied the game entering the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma State pulled away in the fourth, opening with a 20-4 run over the first six minutes. The lead proved too much for Iowa State to overcome, and the game ended with Akot making a pair of free throws to secure the 88-77 win.
Akot led all scorers with 25 points, tying her career high, while Heard added 22. The pair combined for 24 rebounds. Wooten scored 13 points off the bench and added five assists.
