Joens sisters meet Sunday as No. 11 Iowa State visits No. 17 Oklahoma

AMES — “None.”

That’s the one-word answer Iowa State star Ashley Joens delivered in response to a tongue-in-cheek question about potential trash talking between her and sister, Aubrey, who transferred from ISU to Oklahoma last spring.

That’s not how any of the Joens sisters roll — even in a game as big as Sunday’s 2 p.m. top-20 matchup with the Sooners in Norman, Okla.

“It’s just another game,” Ashley Joens said.

But big-time Big 12 stakes are involved. The No. 11 Cyclones (10-2, 2-0) will try to keep up with the fast-paced No. 17 Sooners (11-2, 1-1), who are tied for fifth nationally in scoring offense at 87.0 points per game. Four Oklahoma players, led by forward Madi Williams, are averaging 11 points per game, so the Sooners’ scoring comes from multiple sources and every angle on the floor.

“They’re coming at you no matter what,” ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said. “They’re not stopping and that’s what Oklahoma does. And they just keep doing it. If they miss, they just keep shooting it.”

So do the Cyclones, who have been uncharacteristically erratic from 3-point range the past two games, shooting just 10-for-52 from beyond the arc in that short, but shaky span.

“When we’ve been bad, it’s been really depressing,” Fennelly said with a chuckle. “And unfortunately it’s been back-to-back games, but the good news is we won both of them.”

Fennelly added one of the most positive aspects of ISU’s most recent win over West Virginia centered on versatile forward Nyamer Diew playing her best game of the season.

The 6-2 junior drilled a clutch 3-pointer during a decisive run early in the second half and notched seven points and seven rebounds.

“I felt good,” said Diew, who is averaging 5.5 rebounds off the bench in Big 12 play. “I’ve had a few health problems lately, so I’ve just been getting over the hump with that.”

Diew — one of the Cyclones’ most accurate 3-point shooters last season — contracted the flu over the holiday break and recently learned she had an iron deficiency as well as thyroid issues.

“It was tough, but then also realizing I have other health stuff, so there’s always a blessing in disguise,” Diew said.

Fennelly called Drew’s 3-pointer against the Mountaineers one of the most impactful plays of the game and ISU’s supporting players must rediscover their collective stroke from long range in order to take down the Sooners. Ashley Joens — the Cyclones’ all-time leading scorer and most prolific 3-point shooter all-time — will do her part. She’s shooting a career-best 38 percent from beyond the arc his season, which speaks for itself.

“Anytime you start to knock down shots, especially from the 3, and you see your teammates knocking them down, your confidence rises,” Joens said. “You kind of think to yourself, ‘This one’s going in.’”

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