Dallas ? Chelsea Aubry and Kiera Hardy hit consecutive three-pointers to put Nebraska ahead to stay, and the Cornhuskers beat Colorado, 67-59, Tuesday night in the first round of the Big 12 women’s basketball tournament.
Colorado (9-21), the 11th-seeded team, scored nine straight points to take a 54-53 lead on Caley Dow’s layup with 4:48 left. But Aubry and Hardy hit their three-pointers, and the Buffaloes made just two more field goals the rest of the game.
Hardy had 13 points for Nebraska (17-11), which plays No. 22 Texas A&M (22-7) in the quarterfinals today. LaToya Howell had nine points, seven assists and six rebounds.
Jasmina Ilic led the Buffaloes with 24 points, including a three-pointer with a minute left that got them within 62-57. Colorado (9-21) didn’t get any closer and lost to Nebraska for the third time this season.
Kelsey Griffin’s three-pointer capped a 15-7 Nebraska run that started the second half to expand a three-point halftime lead to 46-35.
The Cornhuskers had trailed most of the first half until scoring the last five points. Jessica Gerhart’s 15-footer with three seconds left made it 31-28. Gerhart finished with 10 points.
Iowa State 72, Texas 68
Brittany Wilkins scored 19 points, eight during a key second-half run, and freshman Heather Ezell added another 19 to give Iowa State a victory.
Lyndsey Medders added 17 points and seven assists, and Megan Ronhovde contributed nine points and 10 rebounds for the Cyclones (17-11).
Ninth-seeded Iowa State meets top-seeded Oklahoma (26-4) in today’s second round.
Tiffany Jackson’s 16 points and freshman Erika Arriaran’s 15 paced Texas, the No. 8 seed.
The Longhorns have lost four straight and seven of their last eight.
Daria Mieloszynska had 12 points, seven rebounds and five steals, and freshman Mariana Mergerson came off the bench early in the second half to score 10 points for the Longhorns (13-15).
Texas Tech 61, Oklahoma State 42
LaToya Davis had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Patrice Edwards added 11 points off the bench as Texas Tech cruised past Oklahoma State.
Alesha Robertson contributed 10 points, and Darrice Griffin had 10 rebounds for Texas Tech.
The fifth-seeded Raiders (15-13) play fourth-seeded Missouri (20-8) in today’s second round.
Whitney Pegram’s 12 points led the 6-22 Cowgirls, whose season ends with a 17-game losing streak.
Oklahoma State, which has dropped 24 in a row to Big 12 schools, threatened to set a tournament record for fewest points – 39 by Iowa State in 1997.