Ames—“The season starts with a blank slate, and that started today,” Head Coach Bill Fennelly said after his team’s 85-36 win over St. Thomas. The Iowa State women’s basketball team officially started its season 1-0 Monday, at home in Hilton Coliseum.
Defense shuts Tommies down early
Even with a slower start, the Cyclones relied on their lockdown defense to shut the Tommies down early.
“I thought we defended really well,” Fennelly said. “You want to get out there and play right away. We were playing right up there, and were aggressive.”
St. Thomas briefly took a 5-4 lead with 8:30 to go in the first quarter. That would be the only lead they held all night.
Impact transfer junior guard Jada Williams hit a deep 3-pointer to regain the lead, igniting a 9-0 Cyclone run to bring the lead to 13-5. By the end of the first quarter, the Cyclones held a steady 22-12 lead.
“[St. Thomas] had a lot of new players, so it was more fundamentally about how we did things today,” Fennelly said. “Our kids are really engaged defensively and we spend a lot of time on it.”
Sand creates trouble for the Cyclones
There was only one Tommie who was able to penetrate the Iowa State defense much in the first half: Alyssa Sand. The sophomore had ten of her team’s first points in the first quarter, including going 3-5 in field goals.
“I thought our defense was good, except for Alyssa Sand in the first quarter,” Fennelly said. “She played really well, and we had a hard time with her.”
St. Thomas finally found another scorer in freshman Autumn McCall, who scored a layup with fifteen seconds left in the first quarter.
Sand led her team and was second for all scorers on the night with 17 points and seven rebounds. St. Thomas used Sand’s momentum to pull within six early on in the second quarter, trailing 22-16 before junior center Audi Crooks put up a basket to pull away again.
Junior guard Arianna Jackson and redshirt junior guard Kenzie Hare both dropped in 3-pointers to push the lead to 16 with six minutes until the half. The Tommies had no answer, and the Cyclones went into the locker room up 43-19.
The stars are shining, and new ones are emerging
On paper, you see the typical names leading the charge. Crooks led all scorers with 20 points while adding in two rebounds and two assists. Junior forward Addy Brown tallied 11 points, six rebounds and six assists herself and Williams did not disappoint in her debut with nine points, four rebounds and four assists.
But the Cyclones reminded everyone just how much depth they have this season, with quietly impactful games from several new faces.
Freshman guard Reese Beaty made her collegiate debut with five points, four rebounds and four assists. Beaty will be expected to share the guard role with Williams.
“[Beaty] is a fun one; she’s athletic, with a go-go mindset,” Crooks said. “She doesn’t let the last play affect her; she can pass the ball or knock it down. Her entry passes are on point; she just fits in so well.”
Senior guard/forward Sydney Harris, back from a hip injury last season, added nine points, all from behind the arc.
“I think we have a lot of different pieces, a different edge and we’re older and more experienced,” Crooks said. “This is the first time a lot of people have been seeing it, but I’ve seen it since July. It’s good to finally put our work out there for everyone to enjoy.”
The Cyclones are back in Hilton hosting the Southern University Jaguars at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
