Iowa State women’s basketball saw both victory and defeat in its first two games of the season.

The Cyclones came out on top in their matchup against Omaha, blowing out the Mavericks 69-43.

Their second game didn’t go as they had hoped as they lost to South Dakota State University 76-69. 

Joens continues to impress

In both of the Cyclones’ games this week, junior forward Ashley Joens could not be stopped by the opposition’s defense. Joens put up 25 points against the Mavericks in the Cyclones’ win Wednesday and 36 in Saturday’s loss to the Jackrabbits. 

Joens has certainly picked up where she left off last season and continues to put up big numbers each game. She also grabbed 12 rebounds in Saturday’s loss, earning her her first double-double of the year. 

Joens is currently averaging 25 points and seven rebounds per game and is showing no signs of slowing down. She has become the main source of scoring for Iowa State dating back to last year and now is fulfilling her role as a leader to this young Cyclones team. 

With Joens consistently putting up big numbers, it will be hard for opposing defenses to try to stop her once she gets going. She can get it done on both ends of the floor as well by blocking and contesting shots, making it hard for opponents to get a rhythm going on offense. 

Joens has become the Cyclones’ most important player this season and with the support of players like Kristin Scott, Madison Wise and freshman Lexi Donarski, who has impressed so far this season, the Cyclones will be a tough team to beat this year.  

Efficiency inside the paint

Over the last two games it is clear the Cyclones are able to dominate the paint over their opponents given their size and ability to finish at the rim. They were able to grab 50 rebounds against the Mavericks and also put up 42 of their 69 points from that game in the paint.

In their loss to the Jackrabbits, they grabbed 42 rebounds, including 16 offensive rebounds, which gave them the edge around the rim despite ultimately losing the game. The Cyclones’ presence in the paint cannot be overlooked as the past two games they’ve dominated down low on both offense and defense.

The Cyclones have allowed fewer than 25 points in their first two games this season after allowing only 20 to Omaha and 24 to South Dakota. With the presence of Joens and Scott down low it allows the Cyclones to contest shots in the paint and get out on the fast break. 

If the Cyclones continue to punish their opponents in the paint they will be able to not only score plenty of points down low, but also spread the floor for shooters on the perimeter. This adds a dangerous element to their game as opponents now have to worry about their inside game and their ability to score from outside the arc.

Turnovers

Although the Cyclones have been playing well throughout their first two games, they have turned the ball over many times, which would lead to a fast break for their opponents. 

The first quarter of their matchup with Omaha is the best example of this as they gave up eight first quarter turnovers but caught a break as Omaha couldn’t get anything going. That game saw the Cyclones give up 16 total turnovers and while they ran away with the win, this should be a talking point among the team as to avoid getting caught out on the break in the future.

In their matchup with South Dakota the Cyclones turned the ball over 17 times and allowed seven points off of turnovers and 12 fast break points as well. Turning the ball over time and time again in that game may have contributed to the Cyclones being unable to come back from behind against the Jackrabbits. 

That game only saw the Cyclones have the lead in the opening two minutes and after that it was a matter of trying to get back into the game. By turning the ball over, whether it be by passing it away or travel calls, it allowed for the Jackrabbits to take control of the momentum of the game and once they got their lead they never looked back.

There is still a lot of season left to figure out how to better the turnover situation. The Cyclones will go up against Texas Christian University on Wednesday night with tipoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. 

The game will be available to stream on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ as the Cyclones look to bounce back from their last game with a win against the Horned Frogs.