Twister Sister Forecast: No need for gloves, hot hands found in Ames

Let’s keep the good vibes rolling, shall we?

The Cyclones have put themselves in the win column in their last three games, with a win on Wednesday over No. 21 Texas Tech in Lubbock greatly improving their NCAA tournament resume. That victory gives Iowa State their second Q1 win of the season, the other being their win versus the team out east. Finding themselves on the bubble after dropping five straight, their longest skid in over a decade, Iowa State has turned around their momentum and look to break into the top half of the conference once again.

Advertisement

Audi Crooks led the way in their 84-70 win over Texas Tech with 33 points and 12 rebounds. Sydney Harris had one of her best games of the season, 3-4 from deep to finish the night with 12 points and 12 rebounds for her first career double double. The team had an overall efficient night, shooting 46.7% from 3PT and an above average 15-20 from the free throw line.

This stretch of great play is sorely needed, as Addy Brown has now missed seven games in a row and the team looked lost through the first four games in her absence. While Arrianna Jackson missed three games, fans will have to wait a much longer period of time for Addy Brown, as Bill Fennelly stated in a press conference Friday, “You’re not going to see Addy Brown in a practice jersey for a while.”

The University of Central Florida comes into Ames following back to back losses to the top two teams in the conference. Currently 2-7 in the conference, the Knights have struggled in their three seasons in the Big 12. While Leah Harmon is in the top ten in the conference for scoring, averaging 15.7 points per game, the full squad is currently last in the Big 12 during conference play at just 56.1 points per game. The Cyclones currently sit first at 74.9 against conference opponents.

According to ESPN, Iowa State currently sits at a 97% chance to win, a figure in the ball park of the non-conference shalakings that make up much of November and December. Iowa State currently sits at 31 in the NET rankings, but you will have to scroll a bit further over to 123 to find Central Florida (for comparison, Northern Iowa is currently 112, which resulted in a 81-53 win for Iowa State). A win here is important not because of a resume boost, but because the alternative is a large black eye for the selection committee.

Advertisement

What is the path to victory for Clones? Here are my three keys:

1. I promise the zone is not scary. The Knights have size, and Bill anticipates two post players with a zone defense according to Tommy Birch. The simple solution is to knock down threes, which Iowa State currently ranks second in conference play with a 37.2% clip, with the last three games all eclipsing 40%.

2. Get ahead early. The Cyclones have won the first quarter by a comfortable margin throughout their three game win streak, so getting ahead early would allow the team to set itself into cruise control as soon as possible against a Central Florida squad that has struggled throughout the season on offense.

3. Send the fans home feeling comfortable. The next home game is a full two weeks away as the team has a week off before taking a trip to Utah to take on the Utes and the Cougars of BYU. That is a long time without that immediate positive feedback from the fans, so winning without drama would be appreciated before they enter two tough road games a thousand miles away from home.

Prediction: 84-61 ISU