After a season-opening win versus Butler at home, Iowa State looks to build off of this victory when they travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on the Drake Bulldogs.
Iowa State had four different players with 10 or more points in their win versus Butler, led by forward Nyamer Diew who led the game with 19 points.
Diew not only put up 19 points for Iowa State, but she also collected nine rebounds, three assists with a block and a steal against her former team
As for Drake, they started off their season on the right foot with two straight wins and they’ll look to make it three in a row with this game versus Iowa State.
The Bulldogs are led by forward Grace Berg who has scored at least 17 points in both games played for Drake so far this season.
Guard Hannah Belanger knows that this matchup has some history between the two programs, as she is looking forward to getting another win versus this program.
“Knowing that this is an in-state rivalry is definitely something to consider, so we know that they’re gonna give their everything to us and we will be ready to go,” Belanger said.
Belanger may not have been one of the biggest factors in Iowa State’s win over Butler, but she did put up six points, three assists and a rebound as the starting shooting guard.
Forward Jalynn Bristow got her first official collegiate action on Monday and collected six points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal in her 17 minutes played coming off of the bench.
She is looking forward to playing in a road game for the first time in her college career, even if it may be a short trip down to Des Moines.
“I feel like it’s not gonna be any different from the games we’re playing in now,” Bristow said. “We’re still gonna eat together, prepare together and still play in a game and be able to come back.”
Head coach Bill Fennelly knows the challenges of playing on the road, especially with an in-state series like the one they have versus Drake, and hopes his team will be ready to take on the Bulldogs.
“The in-state games are always hard, especially on the road,” Fennelly said. “They’re a very good team and it’s always a great challenge to up against them so hopefully we are ready to go.”
Iowa State will take on Drake at 2 p.m. Sunday in Des Moines for another clash of in-state rivals. The game will also be streamed on ESPN+.
