No. 6 Iowa State stops DePaul, 79-75
Cyclones survive 41-point effort by Blue Demons' Williams

Box Score

AMES, IOWA (11/21/01) - Lindsey Wilson scored 22 points and No. 6 Iowa State survived a 41-point performance by DePaul's Lenae Williams to beat the Blue Demons 79-75 Wednesday night in the Coaches vs. Cancer Challenge.

		Lindsey Wilson scored 22 points to lead Iowa State over DePaul on the opening night of the Coaches vs. Cancer Challenge.

Iowa State (2-0) has not lost a nonconference regular-season game at home since Bill Fennelly became coach in 1995, but that string of success was in jeopardy until the Cyclones went on a 13-5 run to open a 10-point lead with a little more than four minutes left.

Tracy Gahan added 18 points, all in the second half, to help Iowa State reach Friday's championship game against Mississippi State. Mississippi State advanced with a 71-61 victory over Maryland. DePaul (2-1) and Maryland will play in the consolation game.

Iowa State, which held Williams to four points in an 81-65 victory last season, never got her under control in this one. She made 8-of-16 three-point shots and finished 15-of-29 overall while continually frustrating the Cyclones with a variety of quick moves to the basket.

It matched the most points scored against Iowa State since Creighton's Connie Yori had 42 on Dec. 12, 1982. Jan Jensen of Drake scored 41 against Iowa State in 1990.

During one stretch in the second half, Williams scored 16 of DePaul's 22 points. But Iowa State finally started clicking on offense during that time and pulled away.

Angie Welle had two baskets and fed Gahan for a layup during an 8-0 run that erased an 52-50 DePaul lead and put Iowa State ahead to stay. Welle finished with 12 points after scoring only four in the first half.

Williams converted a three-point play off a steal to draw the Blue Demons to 60-58 with 10:16 remaining, but they got no closer.

Gahan hit a three-pointer and sank two free throws and Wilson made a three as Iowa State built a 73-63 lead. That gave the Cyclones the cushion they needed to hold on down the stretch.

DePaul made 14-of-37 three-point shots, matching the most by an Iowa State opponent. Oklahoma hit 14 threes against the Cyclones on Jan. 7, 1996.