The ISU women’s basketball team opened its 2005-06 campaign with a win over Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, followed by splitting its games in the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas.

The Cyclones topped North Florida on Saturday in the consolation game of the Junkanoo Jam, 74-48.

Megan Ronhovde logged her second double-double in three games this season, with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Lyndsey Medders also double-doubled against North Florida, with 10 points and 13 assists.

Iowa State jumped out to a 20-3 lead, and never relinquished the lead.

“I thought, with the exception of about four minutes of the first half, this was a great team win,” said coach Bill Fennelly.

“We played with energy and enthusiasm. We had a great effort at both ends of the court.”

The Cyclones dropped the first game of the tournament, 81-59 to North Carolina State.

“The score didn’t indicate how hard we played,” Fennelly said. “I was really proud of their effort.

“We just weren’t good enough to win.”

Iowa State took a 24-23 lead into the locker room at the half, but the Wolfpack came out firing on all cylinders, knocking down six consecutive three-pointers to start the second half.

The Cyclones trailed by 10 with 6:51 left in the contest, and N.C. State kept the Cyclones at bay for the rest of the game.

“We had an eight to 10 minute span where we shot ourselves in the foot,” said Brittany Wilkins. “We were tired and they were making their shots.

“That shows our inexperience.”

Freshman Heather Ezell led the team with 17 points, including going 5-of-12 from behind the arc. Wilkins added 13 for the Cyclones.

“I gained confidence after the first three,” Ezell said. “I was able to find the basket early and get in a rhythm.”

Wilkins had 39 points and 17 rebounds in the tournament for the Cyclones.

“We’ve never had a player everyone is pulling for more than Britt,” Fennelly said. “She went from someone we needed to help us a little bit to someone who can dominate.”

Iowa State topped IUPUI 70-55 in its season opener. Medders had 22 points and Wilkins chipped in 17. Freshman Nicky Wieben had 14 points, while Ronhovde notched her first double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

“In the second half, we played some solid defense and got some transition baskets,” Fennelly said. “For about five minutes of the second half, we played about as good as I could have hoped for this time of year.”

The Cyclones return to the court when they travel to Drake to play the Bulldogs on Sunday at 2 p.m.

– ISU Media Relations contributed to this article.