Ashley Joens' huge performance guides Iowa State to upset over Oklahoma

AMES - Iowa State star Ashley Joens' college career has been full of big games, memorable moments and historic accomplishments that have already ensured that whenever it's complete, she'll be remembered as one of the best players in Cyclones history.

Saturday's performance may go down as her best.

The fifth-year senior single-handedly helped the Cyclones overcome a sluggish start and poured in 32 points during No. 15 Iowa State's 86-78 win over No. 12 Oklahoma at Hilton Coliseum on Saturday. Iowa State improved to 15-4 on the season, including 7-2 in Big 12 Conference play.

"If she's not the player of the week in the Big 12, they might as well get rid of that award," said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly.

Joens, who tallied 19 points and 14 rebounds in Iowa State's win at TCU earlier in the week, added to her case Saturday. She helped guide Iowa State to its fourth-straight victory, one that assured the Cyclones they would stay atop the Big 12 standings after beginning the day tied with Texas and Oklahoma for first place.

She grabbed seven rebounds, handed out three assists and tallied two steals. But her biggest contribution came offensively, where she shot 10-of-22 from the field and helped the Cyclones heat up in the second quarter.

Iowa State, which trailed by 8 at the end of the first quarter, leaned on Joens. She was the sole scorer in an 8-0 run that put Iowa State ahead 38-36. Joens, who shot 6-of-8 from the field in the quarter including 3-4 from 3-point range, finished with 18 points in the frame alone.

"We kind of struggled coming out of the first quarter, so I think everyone stepped up at different points," Joens said. "I was able to knock down some shots in the second quarter which really helped."

That wasn't the only time. Joens came up big in the second half as well. After Iowa State fell into a 50-42 hole to start the third, a basket by Joens jumpstarted a 6-0 run. Later in the quarter, she drained a huge 3 as part of a 15-1 run. Iowa State needed her again in the fourth quarter when Oklahoma stormed back, but she knocked down a pair of key free throws to give the Cyclones a 73-68 lead.

"When she plays like that, we're pretty dang good," Fennelly said.

What does Iowa State's win mean? A lot for the Cyclones

Saturday's win could have a dramatic impact on Iowa State's season. First: The Big 12 race. The victory assured that Iowa State would stay tied with Texas for first place in the league. It also assured Iowa State that it would have control of its own destiny. The Cyclones have nine games remaining on the Big 12 schedule, including a showdown with Texas. That may become a must-win for Iowa State after Texas won the first matchup.

The win also gave the Cyclones another resume builder for the NCAA tournament. The Cyclones, barring a meltdown at the end of the season, are likely a lock to get into the tournament. So, Iowa State is trying to improve its seeding. Any team with a top-four seed in the tournament gets to host the first two rounds. It's a huge home court advantage, especially for Iowa State. ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme already had Iowa State as a four-seed before Saturday's win. So the victory may have helped solidify that even more.

Iowa State's starting five does it all

Iowa State's success this season usually depends on the play of its three biggest stars: Joens, Lexi Donarski and Emily Ryan. Well, Iowa State's entire starting five were the biggest contributors Saturday. In fact, all 86 points came from the starters. Donarski finished with 15 points. Ryan added 14 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. They got plenty of help from the other two starters: Morgan Kane and Denae Fritz. Kane chipped in with 11 points and nine rebounds. Fritz added 14 points.

Oklahoma's Taylor Robertson makes history

Robertson entered the game tied with Kelsey Mitchell for the NCAA career 3-point record with 497. Robertson broke the record in the first half of Saturday's game and finished shooting 6-for-8 from 3-point range. She finished the night with 25 points and the record.

"It's really cool," Robertson said. "It's been a lot of years of hard work. It's really special to do it with the same people that I've been playing with for a lot of years now."

Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018 and 2020 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468. Follow him on Twitter @TommyBirch.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ashley Joens guides Iowa State women's basketball to win vs. Oklahoma