Last Time Out

Iowa State came away with one of its more impressive wins of the year, winning the rubber match against Oklahoma in the semi-final game. A 24-14 third quarter ended up being the difference, a spot that the Cyclones certainly have not excelled this season.

Ashley Joens led the way with 22 points and 8 rebounds, surpassing the 3,000-point mark in her career. Lexi Donarski wasn’t far behind with 20 points of her own. Nyamer Diew played nearly 26 minutes off of the bench in a 19-point effort.

About Texas

I can throw all of these numbers at you, but we all know who Texas is. Iowa State and Texas split the season series, the home team winning both matchups.

On January 15, the Longhorns handed ISU a 15-point loss. Iowa State did not shoot particularly well, didn’t really take care of the ball, and was simply just outplayed. Ashley Joens had 21 and 8 on 9-14 shooting, but the rest of the team was a combined 12/38 from the floor and just 2/11 from downtown.

In game two in mid-February, Iowa State finally got over the hump. Honestly, the stat sheet did not look much different than the loss. Iowa State simply just shot better.

Texas is a very good team and will give Iowa State a great challenge on the glass. The biggest thing will be how the Cyclones are able to rebound. Minimizing second-chance points is going to be the key on the defensive end.

Opponent Player to Watch

Rori Harmon was the only player in the Big 12 that had as good of a case as Ashley Joens for the Big 12 POTY award. Her scoring stats aren’t anything crazy, averaging just 11.6 points per game, but she does everything else for this Texas squad. She is the one running the offense, taking the opposing team’s best player on defense, she rebounds, she’s just a P.T.P’er in the words of the great Dick Vitale. She is one of the biggest impact players in America and will give Iowa State all sorts of problems.

What Will Happen

You think we made it all this way just to make it all this way? “Longhorns, short horns, hell even one of those horn things that soccer fans use. Don’t matta to me. Clones in fo’.”

Iowa State University - 76

University of Texas - 72

Pick Three

1. Emily Ryan gets a triple-double.
2. Ashley Joens is the all-tournament team captain.
3. Lexi Donarski scores 20+.

Game Notes

The Matchup: (3) Iowa State (21-9, 13-7 Big 12) vs. (1) Texas (25-8, 16-4 Big 12)

Where: Municipal Auditorium – Kansas City, Mo.

When: Saturday, March 12, 2023 – 1 p.m.

TV: ESPN2 Talent: Brenda VanLengen, Holly Warlick

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

Live Stats: StatBroadcast

The Series: Texas leads 26-22