Less than three minutes into the game Wednesday at Hilton Coliseum, Prairie View A&M took its first timeout.

The Cyclones had already opened a 9-0 lead, thanks to 4-of-6 shooting from the floor and solid defensive pressure that forced turnovers.

That 9-0 run was emblematic of the entire game, as Iowa State dominated all 40 minutes en route to a 94-46 victory in the final game before the team leaves for the holiday break.

“Every coach worries about this game,” said head coach Bill Fennelly. “Obviously we’re a better team and we should win the game, but these games are just hard, no matter what you say to them. But I think our seniors have done a good job of getting us ready and we got off to a good start.

“You just wanna get this game over with, get through it.”

The Cyclones led 27-8 after the first quarter and 50-10 at the halftime break, thanks to a big performance from freshman Ashley Joens. Joens tied her career-high with 19 points in the first half on 6-of-6 shooting (3-of-3 from beyond the 3-point line).

Junior guard Bridget Carleton had her usual big game, throwing together seven points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals in 20 minutes. Carleton did not play in the second half. Joens came out early in the third quarter and sat the rest of the game as the Cyclones coasted to a victory.

“It was really exciting just to see them all get to play,” Joens said. “It was a lot of fun.”

Twelve Cyclones in total saw the floor, and 11 played at least 15 minutes. Joens and junior Adriana Camber led the team with 23 minutes as Fennelly and the coaching staff mixed lineups around to get everyone minutes.

Sophomore forward Kristin Scott chipped in 16 points (6-of-9 shooting) and four rebounds off the bench.

Scott and Joens were on the floor in the second quarter when the Cyclones went on a 23-0 run to end the half. Prairie View A&M was held to two points in the second quarter.

“Defense is important,” Scott said. “Defense always wins games.”

The Cyclones forced 16 first-half turnovers which led to 21 points off turnovers. Iowa State also won the battle in the paint in the first half, 32-0.

In the second half, Iowa State let the lead slip a bit before bouncing back to win the third quarter. The Cyclones mixed-and-matched lineups throughout the fourth, playing multiple point guards at times and getting everyone a chance to showcase their abilities.

With a 10-day break between Wednesday’s game and the next matchup against Bucknell, Fennelly said he was just happy to see the team stay healthy and come out with the win.

“This group’s been going at it pretty hard since June, so I don’t think it’s just the players that need a break,” Fennelly said. “I’m really, really pleased with how we played in the first half.”