AMES — The definition of being a selfless player shines through Iowa State guard Emily Ryan, as her leading assists paved the way for the No. 8 Cyclones’ 80-47 win against St. Thomas.
In her 20th career game with at least 10 assists, Ryan proved again that she is a team player, leaving the court with a team-high 13 assists.
“If I was on this team, I would be the happiest person in America knowing that number 11 is the point guard because she is going to get you the ball,” Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly said.
Making the most out of her time on the court, playing the team’s highest of 27 minutes, Ryan’s time was spent less on shooting and more on being a team player as Fennelly calls it.
“Emily [Ryan] is the definition of team first,” Fennelly said. “Most kids try to shoot themselves in a lineup and then usually shoot themselves out of it, but Emily is just the opposite.”
While Ryan still scored four points, her primary strength was ball handling and guiding the team throughout the game by calling plays and leading in assists.
“Emily is an old school point guard, ‘I’m the leader of our team,’ and I have told her she has got to shoot more,” Fennelly said. “But that will come, it’s just a bit different with guards.”
Becoming a strong attribute to center Audi Crooks’ field goal success, who made 12 out of her attempted 17 shots for 26 points, Ryan’s quick attention to detail and fast decision-making helped Crooks gain the ball and make successful layups and jump shots.
Crooks’ scoring and Ryan’s assists contributed to over 50% of Iowa State’s final score.
“Emily Ryan sees the play before it even develops,” Crooks said. “So when you’re on the court with people you really trust and you know are going to show up every day and work alongside you, it just makes the game more fun, more dependable, everything just clicks better.”
Not only was Crooks a beneficial player from Ryan’s assists, but guard/forward Sydney Harris sought a very positive outcome due to Ryan’s quick and strategic passing.
“[Ryan] looks to pass before she looks to shoot, which a lot of people really don’t see,” Harris said. “She is the most unselfish point guard I have probably ever played with, so kudos to her.”
With Ryan’s quick plays and Harris’ strong aim, Harris walked away with 13 points overall after going 2-for-4 from 3-point range and 4-for-8 from the field.
“It’s not like she is forcing it, she sees it before it even happens,” Harris said. “Half the time I am running the floor and I don’t even think I am open, and she somehow gets it in there.”
“We have been blessed to have a lot of good point guards here and she is certainly going to go down as one of the best we have ever had,” Fennelly said.
