Iowa State women win big, but ugly, in opener

AMES - The press worked.

But not much else did for the Iowa State women's basketball team early in Friday's season opener against outgunned Houston Baptist.

No matter.

The Cyclones - who trailed 16-8 with 11:52 left in the first half - followed the stale start with a torrid 35-0 run and surged to a 73-33 victory over the first-year Division I Huskies before 10,100 fans at Hilton Coliseum.

“I don't know if we forgot what time the game time was,” said ISU coach Bill Fennelly, whose team won its 17th straight season opener. “Got off to a terrible start. Luckily we did some things - we normally don't press people and we tried to press them just to speed up the game.”

It worked for the Cyclones (1-0), who forced 14 turnovers in the first half while scoring 30 unanswered points.

Not so much for Houston Baptist (0-1), which missed its final 15 shots of the first half and endured a 13 minute 53 second scoreless spell.

Forward Hallie Christofferson led ISU with 13 points.

Guards Lauren Mansfield and Jessica Schroll chipped in nine apiece.

Forward Chelsea Poppens grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and freshman forward Fallon Ellis added 10 boards off the bench.

Poppens was limited to four field goal attempts, however, making one.

She finished with six points.

“I feel like everyone has the ability to take over scoring-wise,” Poppens said. “Brynn (Williamson) stepped up with some threes. Nikki (Moody) stepped up with some drives. As long as everyone's coming together, if other people are struggling, just pick each other up.”

Moody, a freshman, started at point guard and dished out seven assists to one turnover.

“Nikki gave us some energy, some speed,” Fennelly said.

The press fueled that.

“The press, when we work it and work it well, it works,” said Williamson, a freshman who scored all eight of her points in the second half.

Don't expect to see much pressing from ISU this season.

“I don't think we're going to be a pressing team,” Fennelly said. “I think we took advantage of it and made some good plays.”

Note: Mason City junior Jadda Buckley committed Friday to play basketball for the Cyclones beginning in 2013. She attended Friday's game. “Coach Fennelly is a phenomenal coach,” said Buckley, who averaged 16.3 points last season. “I'm really excited.”