PONTE BUGGIANESE, Italy – The Iowa State women’s basketball team defeated Italian Select, 59-56, Saturday evening in Ponte Buggianese, Italy. The game was the Cyclones’ first of three games to be played in Italy.
“Obviously there are a lot of things we would have liked to have seen done better,” head coach Bill Fennelly said. “I think it was great to see us finish the game. You play to win the game and our kids did that.”
The Cyclones started the game off with a 9-0 run before Italian Select closed the gap at to 35-31 at the half. The game was neck-and-neck throughout coming down to the wire as Italian Select took a 49-45 lead over the Cyclones with 4:30 remaining in the fourth quarter (European basketball has four quarters).
Sophomore Seanna Johnson came up big for Iowa State down the stretch with a clutch 3-point basket to close the gap to 51-48. It was senior Brynn Williamson who drained a 3-pointer from the corner to tie the game at 51-51 with 1:59 remaining.
Johnson picked up a big defensive rebound and nabbed an assist off a bucket from freshman Bryanna Fernstrom to take the lead.
Italian Select would answer to tie the game again, 53-53, but Johnson’s heroics continued as she completed a three-point play to give Iowa State a lead it wouldn’t relinquish, 56-53.
“Seanna just continued what she did last year,” Fennelly said. “Great players make big plays. When she is that committed and that energized she is special.”
Leading the Cyclones on the court was Fernstrom led with 14 points and eight rebounds, with Johnson chipping in eight points and eight boards.
The Cyclones will play again on Monday vs. ASD Societa Ginnastica in Venice. Tip-off is set for 12:30 p.m. CST.
Iowa State Statistics
Albrecht: 1 reb.
Baier: 6 pts (2-3 fg), 2 reb, 1 asst., 1 block
Bell: 6 pts (2-8 fg, 2-8 3fg), 2 asst.
Blaskowsky: 3 reb.
Buckley: 3 pts (3-4 FT), 2 reb, 1 asst., 1 steal
Durr: 3 pts (1-3 3fg), 1, reb., 1 asst., 1 steal
Fernstrom: 14 pts (3-7 fg, 8-10 FT), 8 reb., 2 blocks, 2 steals
Jensen: 6 pts (1-1 fg, 4-6 FT), 2 reb.
Johnson: 8 pts (3-6 fg, 1-2 3fg, 2-3 FT), 8 reb, 2 asst., 1 steal
Moody: 4 reb, 4 asst, 1 steal, 1 block
Ricketts: 4 pts (1-3 fg, 2-2 FT), 1 reb.
Williamson: 9 pts (3-6 3fg), 4 reb.
** Only statistics
