Cyclones Beat Mountaineers to Open Big 12 Play, 88-72

After a 2 week break, the Twister Sisters return to action to take on West Virginia to open Big 12 play for the 2021-22 season. Iowa State comes in at 11-1, while the Mountaineers are 7-3. West Virginia likes to slow things down, as Bill Fennelly brings in a high-powered offense. Something’s got to give, here we go.

Ashley Joens gets things going early for the Cyclones, scoring 5 points in the first 53 seconds to build a lead early. Iowa State would build that lead up to 12, leading 22-10 at the end of one. Ashley Joens led the way with 9 points, while the trio of Emily Ryan, Aubrey Joens, and Lexi Donarski had 3 apiece.

The 2nd quarter was a lot of the same, Iowa State continuing to score and get stops. West Virginia got the game within 9, but that’s the closest it got the rest of the way. At the break, ISU leads, 48-30.

Iowa State really hit their stride in the 3rd quarter, scoring 29 to get the growing lead to 19 before emptying the bench. That lead held steady for the rest of the game, as the Cyclones take this one, 88-72.

Ashley Joens has a game-high 29 points on 9-16 shooting with 11 rebounds and 3 assists, as Lexi Donarski and Beatriz Jordao had 14 each, respectively. In one of the more impressive all-around performances we’ll see this year, Emily Ryan fell 1 rebound shy of notching a triple-double, with 10 points, 16 assists, and 9 boards.

Cyclones are back in action Wednesday, January 5th, when the travel to Norman to take on the Oklahoma Sooners in a battle of 1-loss teams.