Cyclone women begin year with impressive home win

AMES (ISU) — After celebrating last season’s run to the NCAA Elite Eight, the 24th-ranked Iowa State women’s basketball team got the 2009-10 campaign underway with an 80-40 win over Florida Atlantic Sunday afternoon in Hilton Coliseum.

Freshman center Anna Prins blazed the way for the Cyclones, scoring a game-high 20 points, including going 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. She also pulled down five rebounds for the Cyclones. Senior Alison Lacey came close to a double-double with 11 points and nine assists.

With her 11 points, she moved into a tie for 15th place on the Iowa State career scoring chart with 1,158 points. Denae Stuckey led the squad on the glass with six rebounds.

Chelsea Poppens also finished with 17 points, after picking up two early fouls and sitting most of the first half. Jessica Knurick led Florida Atlantic with 12 points and seven rebounds.

“I told the players before the game that we were dropping the Elite Eight banner and recognizing a special team and a special group of people,” ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said. “I asked them to give an effort that that team would have expected, and they did great. Alison Lacey really set the tone early.”

After a rough start from beyond the arc in the first half, the Cyclones finished with nine 3-pointers for the contest, shooting 43 percent from long range. ISU shot 52 percent from the field for the contest and the Cyclones outrebounded Florida Atlantic, 39-29.

The ISU defense held the Owls to 27.5 percent shooting from the field and 26.1 percent from beyond the arc.

The Cyclones will hit the road for the next three games, traveling to Des Moines for a game next Sunday against instate rival Drake at 2 p.m.