Freshman Tjaša Turnšek recorded her first career double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds to lead Iowa State (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) to a 68-44 victory over Nicholls (1-1, 0-0 Southland Conference) inside Hilton Coliseum on Thursday.
Turnšek shot 6-for-13 from the field. Sienna Harvey added 15 points, five rebounds and four assists in the win. Mya Babbitt also scored in double figures with 11 points, hitting three 3-pointers.
Turnšek opened the scoring for Iowa State by converting a three-point play
on a floater in the paint. She and frontcourt partner Xiao Zhang drew early fouls to put the Cyclones in the bonus within the first two minutes of play, though Iowa State was unable to fully capitalize on the early advantage. Babbitt knocked down the team’s first 3-pointer with 1:22 remaining in the quarter to give Iowa State an 18-13 lead after one.
Iowa State opened the second quarter with two quick fast-break layups, forcing a Nicholls timeout at the 8:14 mark. Harvey then went on a personal 7-0 run midway through the frame—headlined by her first 3-pointer of the season following an offensive rebound from Ashleigh Connor—to extend the lead to 31-18. Sparked by 11 first-half points from Harvey, the Cyclones went into halftime leading 36-23.
Nicholls trimmed the deficit to eight with seven minutes left in the third quarter, holding Iowa State scoreless until Connor hit a 3-pointer at the 6:46 mark. Turnšek continued to control the paint on both ends of the floor to complete her double-double, extending Iowa State’s cushion to 50-32 by the end of the third period.
Babbitt sank two 3-pointers early in the final quarter to stretch the margin to 21 points with seven minutes remaining, sealing the 68-44 victory.
