Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus UW-Oshkosh (Ex.) on October 28, 2025 at 6:30 PM
6:30 PM
Women's Basketball
UW-Oshkosh (Ex.)
Iowa State University Athletics
Sunday, March 20
Ames, Iowa
7:00 PM
Iowa State University
67
vs
44
Georgia
A Sweet Victory Over Georgia Keeps The Cyclones Dancing!
03.20.2022 | Women's Basketball
AMES, Iowa - The third-seeded Cyclones scored the game's first 11 points, built a 22-point lead before halftime and rolled past sixth-seeded Georgia 67-44 at Hilton Coliseum on Sunday night to reach their first regional semifinal in the NCAA women's basketball tournament since 2010.
They did it with balanced scoring and a packed-in zone defense that kept the taller Lady Bulldogs away from the basket and lifted the Cyclones (28-6) to a school record for victories. Georgia (21-10) never got untracked offensively and Iowa State made the shots it needed to stay safely ahead once it opened its big lead.
Lexi Donarski led four double-figure scorers with 20 points, including four 3-pointers and a perfect night at the free throw line – 6-for-6. Emily Ryan added 15 points and set a single-season record for assists and Ashley Joens, the focus of Georgia's defense, added 12 points and 10 rebounds for her 18th double-double of the season.
Morgan Kane also made a big contribution with 10 points and six rebounds, while Nyamer Diew put up five points, three rebounds and two assists before leaving the game after getting hit in the face in the third quarter.
Iowa State will try to extend its postseason run on Friday in Greensboro, N.C., against 10th-seeded Creighton, which upset second-seeded Iowa 64-62 in Iowa City earlier Sunday. It will be the first meeting between the two since 2008, when the Cyclones won 63-59 in Omaha.
Ryan, who needed five assists to set the record, handed out nine to increase her total to 243. She also grabbed six rebounds and made two steals. The sophomore from Claflin, Kan., got the record-breaker on a feed to Kane for a layup at the start of the third quarter for a 39-18 lead.
The Cyclones went on to lead by as many as 26 and handed Georgia its most one-sided loss of the season. Jenna Staiti's 14 points led the Lady Bulldogs, who shot just 30.6 percent and were unable to counter the ISU zone with their outside shooting, finishing 4-for-16 from 3-point range.
And the Cyclones played their tough defense without fouling. They were called for just one foul in the first half and eight for the game. Georgia shot only two free throws all night and they came with 4:46 left in the game.
Georgia's most one-sided loss previously was to No. 1-ranked South Carolina, 72-54. The Lady Bulldogs were in their 35th NCAA tournament and were seeking their 21st berth in the Sweet 16.
ISU started 4-for-5 from 3-point range after missing its first eight from distance in the first-round victory over UT Arlington. The Cyclones were 7-for-13 at halftime and finished 9-for-23, with Joens and Ryan each making two and Diew knocking in one to complement Donarski's shooting from distance.
They also attacked the basket despite Georgia's size, getting several layups and drawing fouls. Iowa State went 14-for-20 on free throws and outrebounded the Lady Bulldogs 45-38.
Everyone contributed in the Cyclones' fast start. Donarski hit a 3-pointer just 25 seconds into the game and the Cyclones rolled from there.
Ryan drove around the 6-foot-4 Staiti for a reverse layup to make it 9-0, forcing a Georgia timeout, and Joens knocked down a jumper to stretch the lead to 11-0. The Lady Bulldogs missed their first eight shots and didn't score until Staiti followed up a miss at the 5:02 mark.
Que Morrison followed with a 3 to cut the lead to 11-5, but Georgia would get no closer the rest of the way. Ryan and Joens each buried a 3 and Ryan slipped in for a layup just before buzzer to make 23-7 after one quarter.
Donarski's 3 from the left corner stretched Iowa State's lead to 36-14 late in the second quarter and the Cyclones settled for a 37-18 lead at halftime, holding Georgia to 26 percent shooting (8-for-31) in the half.
Iowa State led 49-30 after three quarters, then went right to work in the fourth quarter, Donarski driving for a basket and Ryan feeding Kane for a layup and a 53-30 lead. When Izzy Zingaro scored inside with 5:13 left, the lead had grown to 60-34 and the celebration was about to begin.
Back in the Sweet 16, at least one more game in an extraordinary season.
Players Mentioned
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