AMES – Iowa State hosted Chicago State in its season opener Monday and took home a 96-56 win.

With a previous exhibition win against Central College, the Cyclones took to the court with a new addition to the starting lineup, freshman Aili Tanke. 

With a new face on the court, the first half went strong while Iowa State led the game with a big lead throughout. The momentum came from center Audi Crooks, who scored the first points of the game.

The strong offense only heightened as the Cyclones transitioned into the second half. With the Cougars’ strongest point of their game being their careless defense, due to their inexperienced players and lack of team chemistry, the Cyclones scoring opportunities were nothing but strengthened as they ended with a 40-point win.

Change in the starting lineup leads to build-up of momentum

The Iowa State lineup has consisted of a set four players: Crooks, guard Arianna Jackson, guard Emily Ryan and forward Addy Brown. 

The fifth player of the lineup has been a consistent change. In the exhibition game against Central College, guard Kelsey Joens filled the spot and was a strong addition to the team’s 105-53 win.

However, making her first career appearance in the starting lineup, was Tanke.

“It felt like a dream, I honestly didn’t believe it,” Tanke said. “I was scared to tell people I was starting, because what if I just imagined it?”

Tanke was a strong addition to the first quarter as she scored the second 3-pointer of the game. She led the team in the first half with two back-to-back 3-pointers.

“I think she is just consistent,” Brown said. “She works really hard and you can trust consistency. She’s never too much; she’s always ready when she gets the ball in the corner, and most of the time, it’s going to go in.”

Entering as the fifth player for the lineup seemed to have built Tanke’s confidence, as the freshman was a consistent 3-point shooter throughout the contest.

“I thought she was fantastic today,” head coach Bill Fennelly said. “She has been the best, most consistent in that spot and she just knows what she can do. I think she is really comfortable playing with the other four.”

Tanke left the court after playing 17 minutes. In her short time, she made three out of four attempted 3-point shots for 12 points and contributed to one assist.

“When you’re a freshman and you start in this environment, you never know how it’s going to go,” Fennelly said. “She played really well, really smart. I thought for her first college game, it was one that was really good.”

3-pointers become a strong point for the Cyclones

Coming from an exhibition game where the Cyclones had inconsistent 3-point shots, this match was a big improvement. With Chicago State’s lack of defensive skills, the opportunities became dependable and allowed Iowa State to be open for multiple shots around the 3-point arc. 

The slow defense of the Cougars contributed to the Cyclones’ controlled and skillful shots due to the lack of players surrounding them.

The 3-pointers contributed 31% to the team’s scoring total, with Tanke being the team’s most successful shooter from the 3-point arc.

Jackson made the first 3-pointer of the game after pushing the ball up the floor. The shot set the tone for the team to start taking shots from the arc at a slow, controlled pace.

“Everything for us is transition-based,” Fennelly said. “We practice a lot, the type of situations we get into because there is this hesitation a lot of times from the other team and we are trying to get it up the floor before they get set.”

Ryan’s change in minutes lead to the Cyclones strong first-half

Coming from an injury in the previous season that made her miss nine games last year, Ryan played a limited 10 minutes in the exhibition.

Because that game went smoothly, Ryan was given more time on the court and left the season opener playing a total of 20 minutes, with 16 of those minutes in the first half.

“The goal was not to play anyone more than 24 and get everyone in for at least 13 or 14 minutes, but we were pretty close to that,” Fennelly said.

Although sitting out during the majority of the second half, Ryan’s increase in minutes made her a strong asset to the team in the first half, contributing nine points, three rebounds and four steals.

Ryan ended the game as one of Iowa State’s top performers after being limited to only 20 minutes of play and led the team with six assists.