Last Time Out

It’s been a minute since we’ve seen the Clones in action. On December 18th, Iowa State defeated then-25th-ranked Villanova in the Invesco QQQ Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase by a score of 74-62.

Denae Fritz hit as three just nine seconds into the game and ISU never looked back as they led wire-to-wire. The Cyclones shot a season-best 50% from deep, led by Ashley Joens who made four triples in a 17-point-10-rebound outing. Denae Fritz also shot efficiently, going 5-6 (3-3 3pt) from the floor. Stephanie Soares notched another double-double, pouring in 14 points while snagging 11 boards. The most impressive performance, however, was the point god Emily Ryan. Ryan scored 16 points while dishing out 10 assists and grabbing 9 boards to secure her MVP honors.

About Texas Tech

The Red Raiders sit at 12-1, but just have one win against a P5 opponent thus far in Colorado. Their lone loss came to Jackson State, who is currently 2-7. Long story short, that record could be a little deceiving.

Tech has shown flashes of great offense but generally likes to keep it low-scoring. Sound familiar? Maybe a men’s team in Lubbock has the same strategy? No, the Lady Raiders aren’t that stout on defense but they have been solid so far. They rank inside the top 15% in both opponent points per game (57 ppg - 37th) and opponent points per 100 possessions (79.8 - 27th). They have also been able to force nearly 19 turnovers a game to this point. Will it stand the test of Iowa State’s high-pace, efficient offense? Time will tell.

Offensively, Texas Tech is pretty average, scoring around 72 points per game on just 70 possessions per game. That pace is good for 220th in the country. They do however take very good, clean shots and shoot the ball fairly well. They’re 63rd in effective field goal percentage and 43rd in points per scoring attempt. While those numbers don’t jump off the stat sheet, they are still pretty solid. The Red Raiders can get hot from deep, but it will take much more than that to hang with the Cyclones.

Opponent Player to Watch

Rhyle McKinney has been impressive for the Lady Raiders so far this season. In her 2nd year at Tech after transferring from SMU, she leads the team with 12.3 points per game on nearly 54% shooting, including 47% from long range. She has made great strides from her first season in Lubbock and could be the best Lady Raider this season.

What Will Happen

Iowa State shakes off the cobwebs and gets a nice road win. “Red Raiders, Blue Raiders, hell even the Los Angeles/Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders. Don’t matta. Clones in fo’.”

Iowa State University - 76

Texas Tech University - 54

Pick Three

1. Emily Ryan flirts with a triple-double.
2. Morgan Kane and Stephanie Soares combine for 20 boards.
3. Cyclones never trail.

Game Notes

The Matchup: Iowa State (#15) (8-2, 0-0 Big 12) @ Texas Tech (12-1, 0-0 Big 12)

Where: United Supermarkets Arena - Lubbock, Texas

When: Saturday, December 31st, 2022 - 2 pm

TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ Talent: Ron Thulin, Brandi Poole

Radio: Cyclone Radio Network/Varsity Radio App Talent: Noah Wolf, Jamie Steyer Johnson

Live Stats: Stat Broadcast

The Series: Iowa State leads, 27-15