Iowa State women’s basketball faced a tough task on Sunday by beginning Big 12 play after going two weeks without playing a game. Entering the new year, the Cyclones were able to accomplish an 88–72 win over West Virginia in Ames.

Iowa State came out of the gates red-hot, riding three three-pointers to a 13-4 lead early. Leading the nation in three-pointers made this season, the long-ball has been a big part of Iowa State starting the season 12-1.

While the Cyclones did cool off a bit to end the quarter, tough defense allowed them to hold on to a 22-10 lead. The Mountaineers shot just 4-17, and 0-7 from beyond the arc in the first, digging themselves a deep hole to begin the game.

West Virginia post Yemiyah Morris recording three early fouls allowed the Cyclones to look inside for the remainder of the half. The primary beneficiaries of this absence were Morgan Kane and Beatriz Jordão, scoring eight and six first half points, respectively.

The combination of inside scoring and strong shooting from the outside helped the Cyclones to an 18-point halftime lead.

Five Cyclones eclipsed the ten-point mark after just three quarters, allowing them to continue to build upon their lead. Heading into the fourth quarter with a 77-58 lead, Iowa State was able to cruise to a victory.

Despite the large lead, the Cyclones were diving on the floor on defense and battling for rebounds all the way up to the buzzer and the Hilton crowd showed its appreciation.

Ashley Joens had a dominant showing, scoring 29 points on 9-16 shooting, along with 11 rebounds and three assists.

Emily Ryan played yet another strong game at the point guard position, scoring 10 points, grabbing nine rebounds and recording an Iowa State record-tying 16 assists.

Iowa State will return to action on Wednesday for a road game against Oklahoma.