After relinquishing 10 turnovers against Texas A&M, freshman Nikki Moody didn’t let the pressure get to her against No. 17 Texas Tech on Sunday.

Moody helped lead Iowa State to its first conference win of the season in a 66-49 contest against Texas Tech while committing seven assists and only two turnovers.

“Nikki is doing well,” said coach Bill Fennelly. “It’s very tough to be a point guard in this league. It’s very tough to be a freshman point guard in this league.”

The majority of student-athletes who have turned professional after leaving Iowa State were point guards, including recent graduate and third-round WNBA draft pick Kelsey Bolte.

“Playing point guard is the best position at Iowa State. It’s also the worst,” Fennelly said. “We want someone that embraces the position the way it has been played in the past.”

When Fennelly recruits, he shows the prospective athlete the names and faces of all the players who have become professionals and tells them they must have the drive they had.

“If you do not have the skill set, the mindset and the toughness to do what they do — you’re in the wrong place,” Fennelly said.

Senior Chassidy Cole also stepped up to lead the Cyclones as the point guard against the Red Raiders.

“You get a lot of credit when you’re the point guard when things go well and you get a lot of the blame when it doesn’t,” Fennelly said. 

Cole finally earned her credit on Sunday. She scored a 3-pointer at the buzzer to bring Iowa State up by six points to the first half and launching her team off the bench with cheers and smiles.

“Her play yesterday, you don’t want to say it was the highlight of the day, but it probably was,” Fennelly said.

The momentum from the shot carried through to the second half, allowing the Cyclones to go on a 15-point run and never look back.

Iowa State will take on Kansas State on Wednesday in Manhattan, Kan.