New Mexico State Aggies at Iowa State Cyclones

Iowa State rolls past 14th-seeded NMSU 97-61

Bridget Carleton led four players in double figures with 23 points and third-seeded Iowa State routed New Mexico State 97-61 on Saturday for its first victory in the tournament since 2013.

"The NCAA is supposed to be fun, and today was fun," Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly said. "The best part of it is that we get to play again."

The Cyclones suffocated NMSU in the first half, holding the Aggies to 10 of 43 shooting in building a 50-26 halftime lead. Iowa State hit 6 of its first 11 3s and outrebounded New Mexico State 31-19 in the opening 20 minutes.

"We just played together, and that's what is so enjoyable about this team," Middleton said.

Brooke Salas had 18 points and 12 rebounds for New Mexico State (26-6), which saw its winning streak snapped after 17 games.

"All year long this team has battled," NMSU coach Brooke Atkinson said. "I thought we battled them. They have length and size and at certain points we let them get on runs."

BIG PICTURE

New Mexico State: Salas, the back-to-back player of the year in the WAC, went to the bench with two fouls late in the first quarter. The Cyclones exploited her absence, reeling off 10 straight points to jump ahead 36-18. Still, the Aggies' 17-game winning streak tied a school record.

BURKHALL'S DAY

Iowa State senior Meredith Burkhall, who had seen her role diminish with sophomore Kristin Scott emerging as a star in the post, hit back-to-back shots in the fourth quarter that brought the Cyclones bench to its feet. It might have been the last extended action in Hilton Coliseum for Burkhall, as Iowa State closes out home play on Monday. "Meredith is the best," said Carleton, Burkhall's roommate. "It was good to see her enjoy herself. She's had some ups and downs."

THE NUMBERS

Iowa State outrebounded the much smaller Aggies 59-33. ... The Cyclones also went 20 of 23 from the line. ... Surprisingly, NMSU turned the ball over just eight times. ... Ashley Joens scored 14 points with eight rebounds for the Cyclones, and Scott had 12 points with eight boards. Reserve Ines Nezerwa grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked a pair of shots for Iowa State. ... Gia Pack had 16 points and 10 rebounds for New Mexico State.

SHE SAID IT

"I think we competed as best we could," Salas said.

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• TV Channel: Aggies vs Cyclones 2021 College Basketball, week , is broadcasted on ESPN2.
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Location: Ames, IA
Attendance: 6,503 | Capacity: