PRIMER: Iowa State vs. Nicholls - Iowa State Athletics

Who: Iowa State (1-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Nicholls (1-0, 0-0 SLC)
Where: Hilton Coliseum – Ames, Iowa
When: Thursday, November 5, 2026 – 6:30 p.m. CT

Watch: ESPN+ (PxP: Evan Wessling, Analyst: Chelsea Poppens, Sideline: Elizabeth Ihle)
Listen: Varsity Network App (PxP: Noah Wolf, Analyst: Jamie Steyer Johnson)

Iowa State returns to Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday night to host Nicholls. The Cyclones are fresh off their 32nd-straight season-opening win, taking down Grambling State on Monday night, 90-61.

FOUR THINGS
5 – Mya Babbitt's five 3-pointers Grambling State matched the most in an Iowa State debut since Bridget Carleton's vs. Hampton (Nov. 13, 2015).

7 – Iowa State's roster is made up of student-athletes from seven different countries: United States (6), Australia (2), Canada (1), China (1), Denmark (1), Nigeria (1) and Slovenia (1).

9 – Arianna Jackson finished last season with the ninth-best 3-point percentage nationally. Jackson finished with a .439 clip (63-of-149) from beyond the arc to lead the Big 12 Conference.

61 – Iowa State pulled down 61 rebounds against Grambling State, tied for the fifth-best single-game total in program history.

LAST TIME OUT
Iowa State won its 32nd-straight season opener on Monday night in Hilton Coliseum. Iowa State pulled down an impressive 61 rebounds, matching the fifth all-time single-game best by a Cyclone team. The Cyclones outrebounded the Tigers 61-34 on the night and 12 of 13 ISU players that saw action recorded a rebound.

ISU's post play was also stellar on the night, as the trio of Gift Ezekiel (5-5 FG), Xiao Zhang (5-6 FG) and Tjaša Turnšek (7-9 FG) combined for 45 of the Cyclones' 90 points while shooting 85 percent from the floor. Mya Babbitt made a splash during her Iowa State debut as well, cashing in on 5-of-8 3-pointers to match Bridget Carleton's ISU debut best.

HILTON MAGIC
The Cyclones have been phenomenal at home during Bill Fennelly's tenure, compiling a 412-87 record (.826) in Hilton Coliseum, including a 205-9 (.958) mark against regular-season non-conference opponents. Iowa State has gone undefeated at home three times, most recently during the 2004-05 season.

ISU finished the 2025-26 non-conference home schedule with a spotless 9-0 record. It was the 24th time Iowa State has gone undefeated in Hilton against regular-season non-conference opponents and second straight under head coach Bill Fennelly. Iowa State's 15 wins at Hilton Coliseum in 2025-26 were tied for the seventh-most in a season in school history.

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Players Mentioned

Mya Babbitt

Gift Ezekiel

Arianna Jackson

Tjaša Turnšek

Xiao Zhang

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics