5 key numbers from Iowa State women's basketball's win over Grambling
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AMES – There's still plenty to learn about this new-look Iowa State women's basketball team, but it certainly helps when the lessons and observations come attached with a lopsided win.
The Cyclones overwhelmed visiting Grambling State on both ends of the court in a 90-61 victory on Nov. 2 to begin the 2026-27 campaign at Hilton Coliseum.
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Iowa State won in wire-to-wire fashion and led by 35 points midway through the fourth quarter. The Cyclones had a 53-23 lead at half.
Here are five numbers that stood out in Iowa State's win:
32 ... as in the number of consecutive season openers won by Iowa State
Bill Fennelly can officially say that he never lost a season opener as head coach of Iowa State. Entering Monday night, Iowa State had a winning streak of 31 straight season openers, a run that began with Fennelly's first game as the Cyclones' head coach in 1995. The Cyclones added one more to that streak with the lopsided win over Grambling State. The streak will continue on to next year without Fennelly, who will retire at the end of the 2026-27 season, but the longtime coach can say he went 32-0 in season openers with the Cyclones.
19 ... as in 19-0 run for Iowa State to take control early
After a slow start where the Cyclones shot 1-for-7 in the opening minutes, they asserted themselves and strung together a 19-0 run that stretched across 4:10 of game time. Alex-Anne Bessette knocked down a jumper to start the stretch before it was topped off by Gift Ezekiel with a layup in transition that gave the Cyclones a 23-4 lead with 2:44 remaining in the first quarter. Iowa State's lead firmly stayed in double figures the rest of the way and the Cyclones were never in jeopardy after that big run.
27 ... as in Iowa State's rebounding edge
The Cyclones were unrelenting on the boards on both ends of the floor. They outrebounded the Tigers, 61-34, a margin that included 15 offensive rebounds. Iowa State's team-wide effort on the glass was evident throughout the game, and it maintained that urgency even in the limited stretches when shots weren't falling as much.
6 ... as in Iowa State players who scored eight or more points
The exhibition game with Division II Upper Iowa gave Fennelly an opportunity to tinker and test out lineups, with all 13 players getting action. With a data point from that, Fennelly trimmed the primary rotation down a tad. Eleven Cyclones got action through the first three quarters of the game.
It was a balanced effort for the Cyclones, who got contributions from all throughout their roster. Tjasa Turnsek led the way with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Mya Babbitt had a strong showing from the perimeter, shooting 5-for-8 from deep en route to a 17-point performance. The rest of the Cyclones shot just 1-of-11 from long range.
There were four other players with at least eight points in the winning effort, with Xiao Zhang and Gift Ezekiel chipping in 13 points apiece. Alex-Anne Bessette and Ashleigh Connor rounded out the winning effort with eight points each.
Iowa State's bench compiled 49 points and outscored the entire Grambling State team through three quarters. The bench even finished with more points than the Tigers' starting five (27 points) for the entire game.
29.2% ... as in Grambling State's shooting percentage
Fennelly was complimentary of the Cyclones' defensive effort through practices and after that exhibition game against Upper Iowa. The caliber of competition might not be high yet, but it was another good defensive showing for Iowa State.
The Cyclones held Grambling State to shooting just 21-of-72 (29.2%) overall and 9-for-32 (28.1%) from deep.
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 5 key numbers from Iowa State women's basketball's win over Grambling