Iowa State had three players record
double-doubles in a 74-48 win over North Florida, giving the Cyclones a
consolation victory in the Freeport division of the Junkanoo Jam Saturday night.
“I thought, with the exception of about four minutes of the first half,
this was a great team win,” ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said. “We played with
energy and enthusiasm. We had a great effort at both ends of the
court.”
ISU senior Brittany Wilkins had a stellar tournament, collecting 39
points and 17 rebounds in two games. She posted her fourth career double-double
with a career-best 26 points and 10 rebounds against UNF.
“We’ve never had a player everyone is pulling for more than Britt,”
Fennelly said. “She went from someone we needed to help us a little bit to
someone who can dominate.”
Cyclone junior Megan Ronhovde had 14 points and 12 rebounds for her
second double-double in three games and the fifth of her career. Junior Lyndsey
Medders dished 13 assists and added 10 points for her third career double-double
of points and assists and her fourth double-double overall. Medders’ single-game
total was a tournament record, as was her two-game total of 21 dimes.
“That’s really something,” Fennelly said. “That speaks to your effort and
finding ways to help your team.”
Iowa
State never let North
Florida into the game, reeling off an 18 unanswered points for a
20-3 lead with13:49 on the clock. Despite eight first-half turnovers, ISU owned
a 42-29 halftime advantage over UNF thanks to 45.7 percent shooting and a 31-16
rebounding edge. The Lady Ospreys used an 11-player rotation, getting first-half
points from nine different players.
Iowa
State’s threes weren’t falling, so
the Cyclones took advantage of their height advantage. Wilkins had 19 points in
the first half, sinking 8-of-10 field goals. She was a monster on the
backboards, too, collecting eight first-half rebounds. Ronhovde shook off her
scoring slump from the previous game, posting a double-double in the first half
with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
“I normally play on the weak side of the zone, so I was able to get
inside and get good position for rebounds,” Ronhovde said. “Anything I can do to
help us get a win.”
The second half proved no different, with
Iowa
State in control. The Cyclones spread
out the offense and cleared the bench, getting points from seven of the 10
players dressed for the game. Freshman Rachel Pierson missed her second game of
the season with back pain, while sophomore Seirra Dawson was sidelined after
elbow surgery a week ago.
ISU closed out the game with a 50-38 rebounding advantage and 45.8
percent accuracy from the floor. The Cyclones shot an uncharacteristically
chilly 16 percent from behind the arc, sinking only four 3-pointers in the
game.
ISU limited North Florida to 24.3 percent
shooting, including 20 percent accuracy from behind the arc. Alana Mountfield
led the Lady Ospreys with 14 points, while Karli Knudsen added 11.
“We learned
a lot on this trip,” Ronhovde said. “We’re going to have to out-work and
out-hustle every team we play. It was fun to bounce back, get a win and go home
2-1.”
Iowa
State returns to action in a road
match with instate rival Drake Dec. 4 at 2
p.m. It is the first of three games in a week’s
span.