No. 15 Iowa State struggled to put points on the board against No. 4 South Carolina and was dominated 76-36 in Fort Myers, Florida on Thanksgiving.
Although it was a top-15 matchup, South Carolina took control of the game from the jump. Iowa State took the first lead of the game off a 3-pointer from junior guard Kenzie Hare, but it took the Cyclones another 15 minutes to score their next points.
The loss gave Iowa State its second of the season, dropping to 5-2, both losses coming away from Hilton Coliseum. The 36 points scored is the fewest the Cyclones have scored this season, with the next lowest being 64.
The Gamecocks took a 19-3 lead at the end of the first quarter and only got worse in the second quarter. South Carolina outscored Iowa State 16-6 in the quarter and ultimately held a 35-9 lead at the break. The half included a 32-0 run spanning from early in the first quarter through nearly six minutes into the second.
One thing Iowa State was likely thankful for this Thanksgiving is how it played in the third quarter. The Cyclones played the Gamecocks evenly, tying them 18-18 in the third. It was Iowa State’s best shooting quarter by a long shot at 43.8%.
The final quarter looked a lot like the first half, with the Gamecocks outscoring the Cyclones 23-9. Gamecock stars Te’Hina Paopao and Chloe Kitts sat the entire quarter, as Iowa State lost 76-36.
First-half shooting struggles
After knocking down the first shot of the game and taking a 3-0 lead, Iowa State struggled the rest of the half, logging both of its lowest-scoring quarters in the first half.
The Cyclones shot a horrific 10% from the field in the first half, only hitting two field goals on 20 attempts. Hare was the leading scorer in the half for Iowa State with four points.
As if the 10% from the field was not enough, the Cyclones had a tough time from the free-throw line as well. Shooting 40% from the line hurt Iowa State’s chances of keeping it close in the half.
Turnover differential
The Cyclones needed to handle the ball well if they wanted a chance against the high-powered Gamecocks, but they did not do that.
The first quarter was the worst for the Cyclones in terms of turning the ball over with eight, giving them five more turnovers than points in the quarter.
Throughout the rest of the game, Iowa State still had a tough time controlling the ball and avoiding the active South Carolina hands defensively. Iowa State ended the game with 19 turnovers compared to 11 from the Gamecocks.
Hare gives a spark
No Iowa State player had a good first half and it is easy to see that from the shooting statistics and the overall score at the break.
To start the second half, the Cyclones needed something to give them a boost or some sort of life so the game didn’t get even more out of hand than it already was. That boost came from Hare.
Hare played nine minutes in the third quarter and had five of her 12 points, shooting 2-for-4. She continuously crashed the offensive glass, even logging an offensive rebound and a block. Hare was second in scoring for the Cyclones, only behind sophomore center Audi Crooks, who had 13.
Iowa State has a chance to bounce back Saturday against Middle Tennessee in Fort Myers, Florida, in its second game of the Elevance Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off. The game is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. and will be live-streamed on the Women’s Sports Network.
