Iowa State Women Cruise In Final Exhibition

A barrage of three pointers helped the Iowa State women defeat Concordia-St. Paul 77-51 on Sunday afternoon at Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones were led in scoring by Seanna Johnson, who notched 14 points in 24 minutes. Four other Cyclones scored in double figures.

Despite a slow start offensively in its final exhibition, the Cyclones held the Golden Bears to just 6 points in the first quarter. Midway through the second quarter, the shots began dropping for the Cyclones, and Iowa State extended its lead to 39-20 at halftime. Concordia stuck around in the second half before Iowa State used a fourth quarter surge to finish with the 26-point victory. Iowa State has appeared to benefit from a rule change that puts a team in the double bonus when its opponent reaches five team fouls in a quarter. The Cyclones attempted 32 free throws against Concordia.

Early-season rust was still showing, as the Cyclones turned the ball over 16 times and finished with 32% shooting from the floor. Of note, Fennelly started freshmen Meredith Burkhall and Bridget Carleton. Burkhall scored 10 points and tallied 8 rebounds. Carleton struggled from the field, shooting 0-7. However, Carleton was a perfect 6-6 from the line and added 7 rebounds for the Cyclones. Fennelly said he's concerned about the team's shooting, and this could lead teams to play zone against the Cyclones. Post minutes will be hard to come by, according to Fennelly. He expects the Cyclones will mostly play a four guard lineup.

Iowa State returns to Hilton next Friday at 7pm for its regular season opener against Hampton. The Pirates, who will look to pressure the Cyclones, return Malia Tate-DeFreitas, one of the nation's leading scorers from a year ago. Still want more info on this year's women's team? Look no further than this season preview.