Tjaša Turnšek gave Iowa State exactly the kind of inside presence that can tilt a game early and keep it there.
The freshman from Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia, powered the Cyclones to a 77-55 win over Howard on Thursday night with 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Mya Babbitt added 16 points and knocked down four 3-pointers, while Alex-Anne Bessette turned in a season-high 15 points.
Howard struck first with a 3-pointer, but Iowa State answered right away. Ashleigh Connor buried a triple for the Cyclones, then hit another 90 seconds later as Iowa State took control of the opening quarter and carried a 20-16 lead into the second.
Turnšek chipped in three early in the second, and after both teams went more than two minutes without scoring, Xiao Zhang finally broke the drought with a jumper. Bessette then pushed the lead to double digits with a 3-pointer that made it 28-18. Howard hit back from deep, but Bessette drew a foul and knocked down both free throws, and Sienna Harvey finished the quarter with a basket in the final 20 seconds to send Iowa State into halftime up 38-27.
Howard made its move to open the third, scoring the first six points before Zhang stopped the run with a free throw. Harvey then created a bucket the hard way, stealing the ball and setting up Turnšek for a layup that made it 41-33 with 8:14 left in the period.
The scoring slowed again after the media timeout, but Iowa State kept finding answers. Ezekiel Gift hit a jumper out of the break, and Bessette later answered a Howard 3-pointer with one of her own to keep the Cyclones in front 44-36 with 2:36 remaining in the third. Babbitt added another triple with 35 seconds left in the quarter, stretching the margin to 14 and sending Iowa State into the fourth ahead 54-42.
In Other News...
Iowa State's New-Look Roster Is Starting To Feel Very Real
A fresh Iowa State roster is beginning to look a lot more settled, and the latest glimpse came in a convincing 77-55 win over Howard. Freshman forward Tjasa Turnsek delivered the kind of inside presence the Cyclones have been looking for, finishing with 20 points and 12 rebounds for her second double-double of the season, while the lineup around her kept showing signs of becoming a real rotation rather than a collection of new faces.
Bill Fennellys final season has put a spotlight on how quickly this group can come together, and the early returns are encouraging. Transfers Alex-Anne Bessette, Sienna Harvey and Mya Babbitt all helped shape a strong team effort, and Iowa States discipline showed up at the defensive end, where Howard was held to 28.1 percent shooting. The pieces are there now, and the bigger question is how far this new-look group can go once the schedule stiffens. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Suddenly Has A New Offensive Pressure Point Against Cincinnati
Injuries have pushed Iowa State into a different look at receiver, and the results have given the offense a needed jolt. Cameron Pettaway and Jamal Polite Jr. have stepped into bigger roles in recent games, helping a group that has had to adjust on the fly while quarterback Jaylen Raynor has started to settle in more comfortably.
Raynors improved play over the past two games has come with more dependable help around him, and that has changed the feel of the passing game heading into Cincinnati. The Cyclones will try to carry that momentum forward, but the real test is whether this reshuffled receiver room can keep creating the same pressure point when defenses have more time to prepare for it. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Just Sent Another Big Recruiting Message Under T.J. Otzelberger
Iowa States recruiting momentum under T.J. Otzelberger keeps showing up in the class of 2027, where the Cyclones have already landed commitments from three highly regarded prospects. Josiah Harrington, the top player in Iowa and one of the nations better shooting guards, headlines the group, while Donovan Davis and Jack Kohnen bring more quality from Wisconsin to a class that already looks like another strong early haul.
The bigger message is what this says about where Iowa State stands with elite high school talent right now. Otzelberger has made the Cyclones a program that top recruits are willing to choose early, and getting all three to officially sign only reinforces that trend as the staff continues building for the future with a regional footprint and a national reach. [Read more 🡒]