When the PA announcer started to rattle off the starters for the Cyclones on the night of Jan. 21, a usual suspect failed to make the lineups.

Senior Fallon Ellis got the nod against Texas Christian, replacing usual starter Bryanna Fernstrom. That’s sort of a strange move for ISU coach Bill Fennelly, considering Fernstrom is a full 6 inches taller than any TCU starter.

Yet, missing her first start of the season didn’t shake Fernstrom’s confidence. By the end of the game, she led the team with 18 total points, 10 of which came in the second half.

“The matchup we had tonight didn’t really fit her, so we didn’t start her,” Fennelly said. “But she was really good. She got us some points around the basket. She clogged up the middle defensively in our zone. I thought she was really good … She was a big part of our team win tonight.”

Fernstrom’s performance was enough to give Iowa State (13-4, 4-2 Big 12) an 80-62 win over TCU (11-6, 3-3 Big 12).

However, Fernstrom’s big night may not have been the top story coming out of the game. Senior guard Nikki Moody, who suffered a sprained ankle in the first half, finished out the game with 15 points, 12 of which came from behind the arc.

“It hurts,” Moody said. “I was just trying to push through it and be there for my teammates. I had to play.”

Shortly after the injury, Fennelly says he asked Moody repeatedly if she was OK to play in the game. For Moody, though, only one answer came to mind.

“I was planning on coming back in,” Moody said. “They just kept asking me how I felt and I just kept telling them that at the end of the day, I can play.”

This was the second meeting between the two teams this season, following a close 86-84 loss just two weeks prior. In that bout, the Horned Frogs rallied back from a 24-point deficit, forcing 21 ISU turnovers in the process.

“We really didn’t need extra motivation for this game,” Moody said. “Down there, it was a tough loss for us. We should have won. So today, we were just trying to get that win.”

Five different Cyclones finished the night in double-digit figures Jan. 21, a noticeable difference from the first matchup between the schools. Along with Fernstrom and Moody, Seanna Johnson also finished with 15 points, and Brynn Williamson and Nicole “Kidd” Blaskowsky finished with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

With one of their top players suffering through an injury, having other options to score was really what allowed Iowa State to pull ahead in the second half, and the TCU coaching staff noticed that too.

“I think Iowa State has a lot more to their team than just Nikki Moody,” TCU coach Raegan Pebley said. “I think there’s a lot of capable scorers on the floor. I think Kidd is playing really well and they have a nice inside presence as well.”

The Cyclones will have a few days off before traveling to Texas this weekend, giving Moody some time to recover. Although after tonight it seems like they don’t need to rely on her completely, Moody all but guaranteed her injury won’t keep her from the court.

“It can’t keep me out,” Moody said. “I’m still going to play regardless. If it hurts, it hurts.”