Iowa State finished its trip to Florida on a high note, dominating in the second half against Middle Tennessee to earn a 75-59 win.
Despite gaining early possession of the ball following the tipoff, the Cyclones fell into a shooting drought which gave Middle Tennessee a 5-0 lead early on. However, quickly adjusting, center Audi Crooks secured Iowa State’s first points of the match with a jump shot.
Blue Raiders center Anastasiia Boldyreva and guard Ta’Mia Scott proved to be a challenging spot for the Cyclones as they led the team early and both contributed seven points.
Previously earning zero points in the first quarter, Iowa State forward Addy Brown quickly came alive as she secured an early 3-pointer to even out the battle between the two teams. Putting up a strong defense front throughout the game, Brown secured the team’s first-half lead at 41-33, with a last-minute 3-pointer, going 2-for-2 in the second quarter.
Iowa State improved significantly in the third quarter by changing its defensive strategy to focus on Middle Tennessee’s standout shooter, Scott, effectively limiting her scoring opportunities. Along with having outstanding offense due to the Blue Raiders’ defense focal point being Crooks, many players were left open around the perimeter giving the Cyclones their biggest lead of 16 points.
Faced with a small injury during play, Crooks left the court in the last minutes of the third quarter, allowing center Alisa Williams to fill in the center position. Although playing for a limited three minutes in the third quarter, Williams contributed three points before Crooks headed back on the court for the fourth quarter.
Iowa State’s defense improved as it began to limit Boldyreva’s shots, resulting in zero points for her in the second half.
Iowa State’s shooting strength finished the game, as it earned 15 points in the fourth quarter, overall tallying 34 points in the second half, to take home a 16-point win.
Change in starting lineup and rotations becomes a core strength
It is known that Iowa State does not have a fully secured fifth starter in its starting lineup for the season. The usual four players consist of Brown, Crooks, guard Arianna Jackson and guard Emily Ryan. However, the lineup switched out Jackson for freshman guard Aili Tanke and continued with guard Kenzie Hare in the fifth player position.
Tanke, known for making almost all her 3-pointers, lacked the shot but had many opportunities around the arc. Her contribution as a starter did not diminish as she ended the first quarter with two points in her six minutes of play.
Following the first quarter, Tanke was permitted only a few minutes each quarter, ended with eight points and achieved two out of three attempted 3-pointers.
Hare became a big defensive reliance, as she became a top defensive performer playing for nine minutes and walking away with one turnover, one defensive rebound and two blocks.
Hare’s defensive contributions paved the way for success, despite fouling out in the final minutes of the game. Hare contributed eight points over her 24 minutes of play.
Field goal efficiency paves the way to a win
Iowa State had strong success around the 3-point arc, which contributed to 32% of the overall score. The Cyclones’ field goal efficiency was over 50%, as they shot 29-for-53 in the game.
Crooks became a dominant shooter, as she led the team with 21 points and found success in nine out of the attempted 14 field goal shots.
In the paint, Crooks became a strong asset at the low post where her layups and jump shots contributed to the team’s overall 43% success rate in the paint.
Along with Crooks, Brown led more defensively in the first quarter, but quickly found her groove and contributed 12 points overall. Brown went 5-for-9 from field goal range, and 2-for-3 for her 3-pointers. Brown also carried the team with rebounds and earned a team-high of eight rebounds, all defensive.
The Cyclones’ two-point success in field goal range contributed to 56% of Iowa State’s overall score.
