Emily Ryan drills all 6 3-point attempts in Iowa State’s rout of Oklahoma State

AMES — Emily Ryan called for the screen on the wing and Beatriz Jordao obliged.

But Iowa State’s star sophomore point guard noted the defenders’ response and instead slid to her left, set her feet and swished a wide-open 3-pointer.

It was one of those Saturday nights for Ryan, who drained all six of her shots from long range as the No. 11 Cyclones dispatched Oklahoma State, 78-58, before 10,443 fans at Hilton Coliseum.

“It’s fun when it’s going in,” said Ryan, whose lone missed shot was a jumper midway through the first quarter as ISU built a 28-13 lead.

Lexi Donarski added 17 points and Ashley Joens chipped in 14 while battling rare foul trouble for the Cyclones (20-3, 9-2 Big 12), who matched the best start in program history. They also remained tied with Oklahoma atop the conference standings and won’t play again for a week.

“Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, is this a good time to have a break or not?’” ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said. “I don’t know. I think our team needs one. We have some kids who need a little more rest and get a couple extra days because (when) we come back next Saturday night, it’s three weeks (left) in the regular season, so I think it will be good.”

The Cyclones were very good all night against the struggling Cowgirls (6-14, 1-10). Once a double-digit lead was established, it never dropped into single digits. ISU — which drilled 11 of 13 field goal attempts in the first quarter — led by as many as 24 points and outscored Oklahoma State 14-5 in points off turnovers.

“We just focused on taking what they gave us,” Donarski said. “And all the shots that we were getting were shots that we wanted in our offense. We weren’t forcing anything. We were being unselfish, making the extra pass when it’s there.”

Joens is now 43 points away from tying Angie Welle’s all-time program scoring record of 2,149. The former Iowa City High standout played a season-low 21 minutes and 49 seconds because of three first-half fouls, but her absence helped Butler transfer Nyamer Diew continue to shine off the bench in extended minutes.

Diew scored six points and grabbed five rebounds whole logging 20-plus minutes for the third straight game.

The 6-2 forward can score from anywhere on the floor and Saturday provided numerous hustle plays on both ends.

“She’s long, she’s athletic, her basketball IQ is very high,” Fennelly said. “And I think she has a comfort level now with her teammates.”

That’s been true for a long time with Ryan, who has sank 11 of her past 12 3-point tries.

Cowgirls head coach Jim Littell called her one of the most improved players in the conference, lauding her “exploratory dribble” and obvious ability to shoot and distribute. Fennelly said Ryan makes everyone else on the team better, so her improvement isn’t merely a personal proposition.

“The kid loves to play,” Fennelly said. “Everyone always says, ‘Doesn’t everyone?’ No. They love to play. They don’t love to do the work to play. This kid loves to do everything. Everything about basketball she loves. The work. The drudgery. The weightlifting. The stretching. Whatever it is, the kid just loves everything about it and she’s bringing her team with her.”