AMES – With a lack of offense and an off night from the starters, the No. 8 Cyclones took a close 64-42 win against Indiana State due to their successful off-the-bench scoring.
Continuing with the same lineup as Monday, Iowa State was given many opportunities to score the first points of the game. However, with forward Addy Brown missing the first attempted shot of the game on a jump shot, the rest of the lineup followed.
The first points of the game were scored by the Sycamores: a rebound off Brown’s missed shot returned for a jump shot taken by guard Keslyn Secrist. Still trying to get their name on the board, the Cyclones missed two shots taken by center Audi Crooks and guard Arianna Jackson.
Two minutes into the game, Iowa State was finally able to score after freshman guard Aili Tanke made her first 3-pointer of the night.
Quickly after the slow start offensively, the rotations and substitutions within the game played a big role in securing the Cyclones their second win as off-the-bench points made up 39% of Iowa State’s score.
“When you shoot the way we shot tonight you have to find something positive to have success,” Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly said.
Quickly subbing in at the five-minute mark of the first quarter, guard/forward Sydney Harris was a big contributing factor in the game. Harris quickly found the basket and made four of her attempted six field goals. Harris walked away from the court with 11 points.
“[Harris] is a scorer,” Fennelly said. “I think the uniqueness for [Harris] tonight compared to everyone else is that she made her first two and everyone else didn’t make anything.”
“Yeah, I was hitting shots, but overall we were not,” Harris said. “So I am glad as a team we were able to pick it up from the defensive end and get our momentum towards the offense.”
Although filling in for Tanke at the start of the second half, guard Kenzie Hare was a loose cannon when coming to three-pointers, and was a strong asset for the team’s shots as she gave away four assists.
“We were just searching for a combination of who’s going to make a shot, who’s going to keep guarding,” Fennelly said. “[Hare] is a really good defender and has played at a very high level already in college.”
Surprisingly, center/forward Lilly Taulelei played her first couple of minutes of the season in the fourth quarter after previously being out due to an ankle injury. Although only playing for two minutes, it gave the team hope and two points.
“She’s athletic, she’s bouncy, she runs, she can defend,” Fennelly said. “She was really good before she got hurt. She will impact our team somehow, some way.”
Although leaving the game as a team leader with 16 points, Crooks still admits that though it was not her night, others were able to carry through the win.
“I think she was 6-for-15 and on a normal Audi [Crooks] night it’s 10-for-15,” Fennelly said. “She got caught up in whatever everyone else suffered from tonight.”
“Just because it’s not going to me does not mean it’s not going in,” Crooks said. “That’s the priority. Just because it’s not my night does not mean it’s not Iowa State’s night, and as long as we get the win at the end of the night, I’m happy.”
