AMES – Sophomore Ashley Joens poured in 41 points to lead Iowa State (7-2) past Wright State (5-4), 79-71, on Sunday afternoon at Hilton Coliseum. Joens’ 41 points are one shy of the single-game program record of 42 set by Tonya Burns on Jan. 18, 1984 vs. Nebraska, and are the most by any Cyclone since 2003.
Joens knocked down 12-of-23 attempts from the field and was once again phenomenal at the free throw line, making 15-of-16 at the stripe. Joens added 13 rebounds, four assists and two steals for good measure.
How It Happened
Joens fueled the Cyclones early, scoring 11 points in the first quarter on just four field goal attempts as Iowa State battled a feisty Raider squad. Freshman guard Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw knocked down a pair of triples in the first stanza as well, the second of which came with 50 seconds remaining in the period to give Iowa State a 19-14 advantage at the end of the first.
A 13-2 Cyclone run early in the second quarter earned Iowa State more breathing room. Espenmiller-McGraw knocked down her third triple of the game to spark the ISU spurt, and Joens scored 10 of Iowa State’s next 12, giving the Cyclones a 34-20 lead on a jump shot with 2:53 remaining in the first half. Iowa State also scored the final five points of the half, including a 3-pointer by Adriana Camber, to extend the lead to 39-24 at the break.
Joens tallied 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting while making all eight of her free throw attempts in the first 20 minutes of action.
Wright State battled its way back into the game after intermission, outscoring the Cyclone 25-16 in the third quarter. The bulk of Wright State’s rally came via an 11-3 spurt, capped by an Anisja Harris 3-pointer. By the end of the third quarter, Iowa State’s lead had been cut to 55-49.
Joens was able to carry the Cyclones home down the stretch with a brilliant fourth quarter performance. The sophomore from Iowa City, Iowa was unstoppable, scoring 18 of Iowa State’s 24 fourth-quarter points to dash any chances of a Wright State comeback.
Players Of Note
Ashley Joens set a new career high with 41 points on 12-of-23 shooting, and tallied her fifth career double-double, and fourth of the season, by pulling down 13 rebounds. Joens connected on 15-of-16 attempts from the free throw line, and added four assists. Joens’ 41 points are the second-most ever scored by a Cyclone.
Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw provided a scoring punch, netting 11 points on the afternoon, and was also outstanding defensively. Espenmiller-McGraw held Wright State star Angel Baker, who entered today’s game averaging 20.5 points per game, to 15 points on 7-of-16 shooting.
Iowa State returns home on Sunday, Dec. 22 to take on in-state foe UNI at 5 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum. The game will be televised live on Cyclones.tv.
