Iowa State Women’s basketball rebounds with dominating win over SIUE
AMES – Just 48 hours after suffering its first loss of the season, the Iowa State Women’s basketball team got a quick opportunity to get back on track.
The eighth-ranked Cyclones showed no lingering effects from their first setback of the season during a 93-43 win over SIUE at Hilton Coliseum Tuesday night.
Iowa State improved to 6-1. More importantly, the Cyclones were able to successfully rebound from their first defeat of what is expected to be a highly successful campaign.
The loss came Sunday night when Iowa State fell to No. 10 North Carolina in the Championship game of the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, Ore. The Cyclones saw a 17-point lead disappear against the Tar Heels.
More:Iowa State Women’s basketball falls to No. 10 North Carolina in the Phil Knight Invitational Championship game
Iowa State players didn’t have much time to dwell on the loss with the quick turnaround. The Cyclones didn’t get back to Ames until 5:45 am Monday.
By then, their attention was on an SIUE team that was winless in its first five games. Iowa State had no problem handling their next opponent. Lexi Donarski finished with a game-high 22 points, six assists and three rebounds. Emily Ryan added 13 points and seven assists.
Iowa State, which rolled through the first half of the North Carolina game before faltering in the second half, controlled all of Tuesday’s game. The Cyclones went on a 16-2 run in the second quarter and outscored SIUE 29-8 in the frame. It helped the Cyclones build a 55-22 lead at halftime.
Ashley Joens finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists for the Cyclones.
Ashley Joens added to her Legacy
There isn’t much left for Joens to accomplish from an individual standpoint. Joens became Iowa State’s all-time scoring leader last season, and Tuesday she became the fifth player in Big 12 history to reach 2,500 points. The Iowa City native needed just three points Tuesday to reach the mark and did it with a putback in the first quarter.
Iowa State now has a long wait
The Cyclones will get some much-needed time off following the quick turnaround. Iowa State’s next game will be among its biggest this season, a Dec. 8 Showdown with No. 10 Iowa. The in-state rivalry has produced some epic games the last few seasons. While the rankings could change by the time of the game, it has a chance to be a top-10 showdown, adding to the intrigue.
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018 and 2020 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at [email protected] or 515-284-8468. Follow him on Twitter @TommyBirch.