Bill Fennelly left Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday night following his team’s Cy-Hawk Series win over Iowa and drove straight to the Sukup Practice Facility.
He had a new sign to put up in the locker room.
“It says Drake, W.”
“Iowa, W.”
“UNI, question mark… Last in-state sweep, 2013.”
On Wednesday, with a 70-69 win that Fennelly’s squad ground out, Iowa State got its latest in-state sweep.
“It is important,” Fennelly said. “Outside of our state, people probably don’t care, but we do. To do that is a great thing for Iowa State. To do that means you beat three, really good teams.”
It took UNI missing its final three attempts at the basket after an 8-0 run late in the fourth quarter, but No. 15 Iowa State escaped with its second win of the week.
By the end of the year, it may hold up to be the toughest pair of games the Cyclones played consecutively.
“I really am proud of how we handled this week,” Fennelly said. “I said on Monday it was going to be the toughest week of the year for our team. The magic helped a little bit tonight and we’re fortunate to get out of here with a win.”
A few things led to Iowa State clinching the victory, despite failing to pull away from the Panthers.
None, however, might have been as big as Morgan Kane’s first career double-double.
The post player tallied career highs with 13 points and 11 rebounds in the victory. Iowa State needed both of them.
“I’m really proud of our post players,” Fennelly said. “Coach (Jodi) Steyer and Coach (Latoja) Schaben work really hard at coaching them and we have asked for a lot of them. What you’re seeing is a very high-efficiency rate from both of them. The steps they’ve made from where they’ve been – that’s probably been the highlight of our fall, non-conference year, our interior improvement.”
Beatriz Jordao added eight points the game, meaning the post position accounted for over 1/4th of the team’s points on the day.
The improvement for the Cyclones at the spot has been a reoccurring theme for the team this season, and like on Wednesday night, when it’s paired with big 3-pointers, the combo can be lethal.
Lexi Donarski countered 3-pointers that UNI was making at will, it seemed, and turned them into momentous shots and makes for Iowa State.
On a pair of occasions, Donarski countered Panther 3’s. Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw hit one of her own. Despite the Panthers keeping it close throughout the game, Iowa State never surrendered its lead after taking it a minute into the second quarter.
“Northern Iowa’s gameplan (against Iowa State) is as good, if not better than any team we play all year,” Fennelly said. “They know exactly what they want to do to us, and they do it.”
The Panthers attacked Ashley Joens, holding her to a 4-16 shooting night from the field and just 12 points.
“We’re going to see that a lot,” Fennelly said. “You double and triple-team (Joens) and just beat the living crap out of her… you make Iowa State score somewhere else.”
Fortunately, for Fennelly, his team scored somewhere else on Wednesday night, and each of the seven players utilized played a massive role in doing that.
Iowa State will get a few days of rest around finals before concluding its non-conference slate next Sunday against Prairie View A&M.
