Twister Sisters Before the Storm: Southern

Nov 10, 2022 - 7:00 PM

Last Time Out

Iowa State took care of business against Cleveland State in the season opener, earning the W with an 87-54 victory. Ashley Joens led the way with 28 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and a pair of blocks. Stephanie Soares was impressive once again posting a 15 point-14 rebound effort. Denae Fritz had 9 points and 10 rebounds in her official return, while Lexi Donarski had 10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Emily Ryan dished out 5 assists while adding 6 points for herself and Morgan Kane added 6 points and 8 rebounds off the bench.

As a team, the Cyclones shot 32-73 (43.8%) from the field but just 8-28 (28.6%) from beyond the arc. The most impressive stat was Iowa State out-rebounding Cleveland State 57-35, if that continues, I don’t see ISU losing too many games with that kind of rebounding effort.

About Southern

The Jaguars come in at 0-1, following a loss to the team out east on Monday night. It’s hard to take away much from that game, given that it was an 87-34 result not in favor of Southern. They shot just 12-57 (21.1%) and were -29 in the rebounding battle.

Southern currently have just one of its top five scorers from a season ago, where they finished 12-17. The Jags struggled on offense during the 2021-22 campaign, ranking below 300 in almost every offensive statistic. Their defense wasn’t much better, but they only allowed 21.2% of opponent points to come from downtown. Whether that’s luck or good defense, it makes for an interesting matchup for Iowa State.

Opponent Player to Watch

Amani McWain was second on the team a year ago in scoring, but she will be Southern’s number-one option this season. Genovea Johnson was their leading scorer a year ago, but she didn’t play against Iowa and I don’t expect to see her tonight.

McWain averaged 11.2 points and 5.4 rebounds last season. At 5 foot-8 inches, she is a sneaky good rebounder that can hustle after loose balls. There’s not a ton of info about Southern women’s basketball out there, but I expect McWain to lead the charge tonight.

What Will Happen

This one gets ugly. “Southern, eastern, hell even western. Don’t matta. Clones in fo’.”

Iowa State University - 85

Southern University - 36

Pick Three

1. Iowa State wins the rebound battle by 30+.
2. Lexi Donarski and Emily Ryan light it up from three.
3. Cyclones put up 50 or more in the first half.

Game Notes

The Matchup: Iowa State (#8) (1-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Southern (0-1, 0-0 SWAC)

Where: Hilton Coliseum - Ames, Iowa

When: Thursday, November 10 at 6:30 p.m.

TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ Talent: Alex Cohen, Chelsea Poppins

Radio: Cyclone Radio Network/Varsity Radio App Talent: Noah Wolf, Jamie Steyer

Live Stats: Cyclone Stats