AMES - Iowa State got a full-dose reminder Thursday that Tjasa Turnsek is much more than a nickname.
The freshman forward, known around the program as “Shaky,” delivered her first career double-double and powered the Cyclones past Nicholls State 68-44 at Hilton Coliseum in front of 8,819 fans. Turnsek finished with a game-high 18 points and 13 rebounds in just under 29 minutes, giving Iowa State a steady inside presence in its second straight win to open the season.
“She’ll be one of the better freshman in (the Big 12) because she’s someone we count on a lot,” ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said after his team improved to 2-0. “And it’s proven to be a good thing so far.”
Iowa State leaned on defense, rebounding and a couple of well-timed spurts to shake loose from a stubborn Nicholls State team that hung around for much of the night. The Cyclones put together 7-0 and 9-0 runs in both halves to create separation, while also controlling the glass 51-30 and holding the Colonels to 25 percent shooting.
“Our goal is always tough twos and go rebound,” said Fennelly, whose team corralled 61 rebounds in its season-opening win over Grambling State. “If you came to practice, you’d go to bed at night and you’d be hearing that in your sleep.”
The play that helped turn a two-possession game into a more comfortable lead came from pure hustle. With Iowa State up 24-18 in the second quarter, Mya Babbitt missed a 3-pointer, Ashleigh Connor chased down the loose ball and kept the possession alive, and Sienna Harvey cashed in with her first 3-pointer as a Cyclone before scoring the next two baskets to finish off the 7-0 burst.
“Those are plays that you don’t really script it,” Fennelly said. “You talk a lot about it, but when they come, they’re really important.”
Harvey, a sophomore and Washington transfer, finished with a career-high 15 points and did most of her damage in the second quarter, when she scored 11 points while going 5-for-5 from the field. She opened the night by missing her first three shots, including a wide-open layup, but didn’t let that slow her down.
“I was just trying to be more aggressive, but I think my teammates, we all just get each other in good spots and try to play to our strengths,” Harvey said. “I think we did a pretty decent job of that and will continue to get better.”
Babbitt added 11 points off the bench and hit three of Iowa State’s five 3-pointers. The Cyclones, though, continued to struggle from deep, missing 15 of 20 attempts for the second game in a row. Turnsek went 0-for-3 from beyond the arc, though Fennelly said her shooting in practice suggests that part of her game is coming.
Even without the outside touch, Turnsek’s all-around impact was impossible to miss. Iowa State outscored Nicholls State 46-14 in the paint and 15-4 in fast-break points, while also piling up 19 assists on 28 made field goals.
“I’ll keep working to make those shots,” Turnsek said.
“I’ll start making those threes,” she said with a smile. “I’ll get better. I promise.”
In Other News...
Iowa State May Have Found The Identity This Team Will Lean On
Iowa States home season opener offered a pretty clear snapshot of what this group wants to be, and it started on the defensive end. In an 83-57 win over Southern Miss, forward Taj Manning made his presence felt with a career-high four blocks and the kind of active, disruptive work that can change the tone of a game without ever showing up in the box score the same way points do.
Coach T.J. Otzelberger pointed to Mannings defensive impact while also stressing rebounding and defense as the areas that have to keep driving this team forward. On the other end, Northwestern transfer Tre Singleton supplied the scoring punch with a career-high 28 points and led the Cyclones in rebounds, giving Iowa State a glimpse of the balance it may lean on as the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Let A Promising Start Turn Into Another Frustrating Finish
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Then the game flipped. A muffed punt by Flora became the opening Baylor needed, and the Bears turned that break into points before taking the lead for good on the way to a 42-31 win. For Iowa State, it was another frustrating reminder that a strong start only matters if it survives the middle stretches, and this one slipped away in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Tre Singleton Just Gave Iowa State The Bounce-Back It Needed
After a rough opener, Iowa State finally found some rhythm in an 83-57 win over Southern Miss, and Tre Singleton was at the center of it. He powered the Cyclones with 28 points and nine rebounds, giving them the kind of interior production and energy they had been missing while helping the team settle in on both ends.
The bigger takeaway was the response. Iowa State looked sharper defensively than it did against Memphis, a sign the group was ready to clean up some early-season issues before the schedule keeps moving. The Cyclones now head home to face Southern, where theyll try to build on a performance that felt more like the version of this team they expected to see. [Read more 🡒]