Junior guard Jade Hill’s 11 points couldn’t overcome reigning Big 12 champions Iowa State’s 85-44 victory over St. Thomas in a non-conference game on Nov. 29 at Schoenecker Arena.
The Tommies (3-4) couldn’t weather the storm of the Cyclones (3-3) in their first-ever matchup, which was also St. Thomas’ first competition against a Power 6 opponent at home. The Tommies started 2-0, but Iowa State first-year guard Kelsey Joens responded with a three-pointer that took the lead they kept all game.
“It was tough. Iowa State, a fantastic team, they won the Big 12 Conference last year,” Hill said. “I think we played aggressive, we just didn’t hit our shots, and they executed very well, and I think that was the difference.”
St. Thomas tried to shoot themselves back into the game, launching 34 three-pointers throughout the game but only connected on five.
“All of a sudden that ball didn’t go in the hoop, and we kind of panicked a little bit, and we started going out of character,” coach Ruth Sinn said. “That is not a shooting performance, 15%, that we are used to.”
The offensive woes weren’t helped by an uncharacteristically poor shooting night from sophomore guard Amber Scalia. The typical long-range threat went 2-9 from beyond the arc and 4-18 from the floor.
Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly took a moment after the game to console Scalia as he is familiar with her usual scoring prowess.
“I told her, ‘You’re a great player. Keep playing,” Fennelly said. “I know she had a little bit of a frustrating night, her shot wasn’t falling, but she’s the number one kid on our scouting report.”
Despite the lackluster offensive outing, Hill was still able to connect on four assists.
“I know my teammates are always in the gym, so I never lose confidence in them,” Hill said.
On the defensive side, the Tommies were thrashed by the Cyclones. Iowa State scored 34 points in the paint versus St. Thomas’ eight. 12 of those points came from the Cyclone’s 6-foot-3 first-year center Audi Crooks.
“(Crooks) scores at a high rate and she really is very physical,” Sinn said.
Crooks is just one player who outmatches the Tommies in size. Six Cyclones stand eye-to-eye or taller with junior center Jo Langbhen, St. Thomas’ tallest player, at 6-foot-2. Graduate guard Jordyn Glynn said that the height difference played a factor in the team’s strategy.
“Most of our games, especially non-conference, we’ve been pretty undersized,” Glynn said. “So we talked in the locker room; what are three things that we can hold true and that’s going to be our identity? One is playing together, two is being the scrappiest team, and not giving up and being very detail oriented.”
Wednesday’s game marked the first time St. Thomas basketball has hosted a Power Six opponent at Schoenecker Arena. Although the final score wasn’t in St. Thomas’ favor, Sinn says the game represented a needed ramp-up in competition.
“We’re not playing the same opponents and even the strength of schedule that we took last year to this year, but it’s because we think we’re ready,” Sinn said.
Sinn also says that playing tougher competitors will help the team develop and play at a higher level.
“We want to learn and we want to grow, and I think our young ladies, having the daringness to be able to find out what that next step is and what we have to do is going to help us in the long run,” Sinn said.
Iowa State agreed to play St. Thomas at Schoenecker Arena because the Tommies will travel to Ames, Iowa in the next two seasons. The Tommies reached a similar agreement with the University of Wisconsin and the Badgers will play the third game of their series in St. Paul on Dec. 13.
Fennelly had positive things to say about St. Thomas and the basketball program being cultivated.
“It’s an honor to come here. St. Thomas is a great university and they’re building a program at this level,” Fennelly said. “So, if we can help and bring some people into the building and showcase our team and their team, that’s what we want to do.”
Sinn admires the competitive culture that the Division I schools have created in Iowa and hopes something similar can be recreated in Minnesota.
“We’ve got to start doing that too. It’s not about who wins or who loses, it’s just growing the game and getting the excitement and the interest that we have two Division I teams,’ Sinn said.
St. Thomas’s next game is against Western Illinois at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, in Macomb, Illinois.
Adam Mueller can be reached at muel7541@stthomas.edu.