AMES – The Cyclones will head back on the road to face No. 20 West Virginia on Sunday, after a two-day break following their 71-58 dominating win against Texas Tech.
In hopes of strengthening their three-game win streak, the Cyclones took some much-needed time after playing four games in 10 days. Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly mentioned that the break helps the players both mentally and physically during the long season.
“I don’t know who I pissed off at the Big 12 office but they didn’t give us any breaks on the schedule,” Fennelly said. “So we have to be smart about it.”
Despite having a mental and physical break in between two games, Fennelly acknowledged how West Virginia has one of the most unique basketball styles in the league. With the Mountaineers averaging 79.9 points per game, their strongest scoring asset comes from senior guard JJ Quinerly who averages 18.3 points per game.
Presented as the backbone of the Cyclones’ defense, sophomore guard Arianna Jackson will be in charge of guarding Quinerly. The strength of Jackson’s game comes from her defensive position, but she has become a strong shooter in the past couple of games.
“I have played against her now all these years. [West Virginia] just quick, athletic all of them,” Jackson said. “We want to get downhill, want to get to the basket, create fouls, that kind of thing.”
Despite wanting to have a strong defensive approach, Fennelly has mentioned to the team that they can not foul the Mountaineers. West Virginia has a strong offensive turnout from behind the charity stripe, averaging a 76% successful shootout rate.
“Bill [Fennelly] was talking about how we just can’t foul them because they’re 90% free throw shooters, their two guards,” Jackson said. “So we just have to be ready, stay on our feet because the shot’s going up.”
Alongside a strong performance at the free throw line, West Virginia boasts a 46% field goal success rate, along with a similar 3-point success rate compared to Iowa State at 33%.
Against Texas Tech, 50 of the Cyclones’ 71 points came from in the paint. Even though no 3-pointers worked there, Iowa State may need a stronger behind-the-arc success rate against West Virginia.
“I guess depending on the night, that’s a really good thing or could be of concern you know,” Fennelly said. “We hope that your identity of us is that we are going to compete and we are going to find a way to have success.”
Though there are some challenging spots heading back on the road, such as the Mountaineers holding a home-court advantage, Fennelly is optimistic about finding success similar to the Texas Tech game, especially in the paint.
“Their numbers at home are astounding, I mean it’s ridiculous the way they are at home. It will be a tremendous challenge for sure,” Fennelly said. “It’s one of those things where you get them one time and on their home court and hopefully, we can find a couple of things we can find success in against that pressure.
Iowa State will take on No. 20 West Virginia at noon Sunday. The game will be nationally televised on FOX.
