Iowa State wasted no time taking control of its regular-season opener, turning Monday night at Hilton Coliseum into a showcase of depth, size and shot-making in a 90-61 win over Grambling in front of 8,802.
The Cyclones came out with pace and force, rolling to a 27-12 first-quarter edge before putting the game out of reach in the second. Iowa State outscored Grambling 26-11 in that period and went into halftime up 53-23. In those first 20 minutes, the Cyclones owned the paint 22-8, turned turnovers into 11 points and got 32 points from the bench.
Tjaša Turnšek set the tone inside. She finished with a team-high 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting, along with four rebounds and two blocks in 24 minutes.
Xiao Zhang was just as sharp in a smaller role, scoring 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting with five rebounds and two blocks in 13 minutes. Together, they powered an Iowa State frontcourt that produced a 46-20 scoring advantage in the key.
The reserves kept the pressure on all night. Iowa State’s bench finished with a 49-34 edge over Grambling’s second unit, and Mya Babbitt was the biggest spark from that group.
She buried five 3-pointers on eight tries, scored 17 points and grabbed seven defensive rebounds, all while posting a game-high +27. Gift Ezekiel also made the most of her minutes, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field for 13 points, two rebounds and a block.
Sienna Harvey kept the offense organized, handing out a game-high nine assists and adding four rebounds while matching Babbitt for the team’s best plus/minus at +27. Iowa State also dominated the boards, finishing with a 61-34 rebounding margin and 46 defensive rebounds.
Grambling did manage a better third quarter, edging Iowa State 20-19 behind 15 points from Princess Anderson, but the Cyclones had already built too large a cushion. Iowa State held the Tigers to 29.2% shooting for the game and never let the lead slip.
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