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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- The Big 12 title was fading fast until Iowa State (No. 12 ESPN/USA Today, No. 11 AP) finally found its shooting touch.
|  | | Edwina Brown scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds for Texas. |
Iowa State erased a nine-point deficit in the second half with four straight 3-pointers and clinched the top seed in the conference tournament with a 79-66 victory Wednesday night over Texas.
The victory earned the Cyclones (22-5, 13-3) a share of the
conference title with Texas Tech and Oklahoma. Iowa State owns the
head-to-head tiebreaker with wins over both earlier in the season.
"To see where we were five years ago to be the champions of the Big 12 is amazing," Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly said. "We showed that we're a championship team."
Texas led 62-53 in the second half before Iowa State rallied.
Lindsey Wilson hit four straight foul shots before Megan Taylor hit
the first of four consecutive 3-pointers that gave the Cyclones the
lead at 69-65. The Big 12's best 3-point shooting team had hit just
three from long range up to that point.
"We didn't want them to kill us from the perimeter, but they
have and they will and they did," Texas coach Jody Conradt said.
Texas (18-11, 9-7) trailed 71-65 when Tracy Cook got to the foul line with the chance to cut the lead to four. Cook made the first free throw but missed the second. Texas' Edwina Brown got the rebound but came up short on the putback and Iowa State put the
game away with an 8-0 run over the final 35 seconds.
The Cyclones outscored Texas 26-4 over the final six minutes.
"It was an emotion filled game that meant so much to us, but
early on, we were throwing the ball away," said Angie Welle, who
led all scorers with 22 points. Wilson scored 19 for Iowa State.
The Cyclones shot 54 percent from the floor and was 21-of-29
from the line to help survive 21 turnovers.
"You have to believe you have a chance. We didn't work our
butts off the whole game to lose," Welle said.
Welle, who was 20-of-21 from the floor in Iowa State's previous
two games, hit her first four shots against Texas and was 10-of-12
from the line with 15 rebounds.
Brown, Texas' national player of the year candidate, led the Longhorns with 15 points, six below her season average. A senior playing in her last regular season home game, Brown didn't score over the final nine minutes.
Conradt said she believes Texas belongs in the NCAA Tournament.
Texas is 3-8 this season against ranked opponents.
"It really depends on how many teams they take from our
conference," Conradt said. "Our tough schedule should help us."
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ALSO SEE
Womens College Basketball Scoreboard
Iowa State Clubhouse
Texas Clubhouse
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