The Iowa State women’s basketball team got to get its feet wet right before the 2023 season, as they hosted Truman State in an exhibition game.
The Cyclones took down the Bulldogs on Wednesday night in an 88-68 showdown in which the new freshmen got to show out in this game.
Guard Kelsey Joens was the Cyclones leading scorer with 20 points on six-of-eight shooting and five for seven from three-point land.
Joens, the sister of former Iowa State guard Ashley Joens, showed flashes of potential in this game that could help benefit the Cyclones as the season progresses.
Guard Addy Brown seemed to be ready for her moment heading into the exhibition match versus Truman State, as she performed well in her 34 minutes played, which ended up being a team-high Wednesday night.
“I would say I was pretty confident just because I felt like I had worked pretty hard outside of practice and the workouts we do, so going into the game I felt like I was pretty prepared,” Brown said.
Brown was the second-highest scorer for the Cyclones on Wednesday night, as she contributed with 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Guard Arianna Jackson is embracing her new role as the main point guard following the absence of Emily Ryan.
“It just means a lot for the coaching staff to be putting a lot of trust in me. I feel good right now especially working with Emily [Ryan] to start the season,” Jackson said.
As the starting point guard in the game versus Truman State, Jackson shot two-for-five, all from the three-point range, getting eight points, two assists and a rebound as well.
Head coach Bill Fennelly is glad that the young players got some experience in before the regular season began, but he knows that the competition will only get tougher from here on out as the games start to count towards their record.
“The thing we got to learn quickly is to know that these other teams are more experienced than us,” Fennelly said. “Last night was the first time the girls put on the uniforms. Now we look at today and see if we can get better.”
Iowa State will look to start off their non-conference season on a high note at 11 a.m. Monday when they host Butler at Hilton Coliseum.
