AMES (AP) — Alexa Willard scored 17 points to help 11th-seeded Missouri State stun third-seeded Iowa State 69-60 on Monday, becoming the only double-digit seed to reach this year’s Sweet 16.
Abby Hipp had 11 points and Danielle Gitzen scored 10 for the Lady Bears (25-9), who will compete in an NCAA Tournament regional semifinal for the first time since the Jackie Stiles-led team in 2001.
They’ll face either Stanford or BYU in Chicago after becoming the ninth team in 10 years to reach the Sweet 16 as a double-digit seed.
Iowa State (26-9) played much of the fourth quarter within a possession of the lead, only to let Missouri State answer time and time again.
Sydney Manning extended the Lady Bears’ lead to 60-54 on a 3-pointer, her only field goal of the game, and Willard followed with a jumper.
Gitzen answered an empty Cyclones possession with two free throws, and Bridget Carleton threw the ball away at the 1:07 mark with Iowa State down 65-58.
Carleton had 31 points in her final game to lead Iowa State, which shot a ghastly 2-of-17 on 3-pointers and 35.6 percent overall.
It might have seemed as though a game-deciding run was inevitable for the Cyclones. But it was the Lady Bears, fresh off a dominant win over sixth-seeded DePaul, who took control when it mattered.