ATLANTA – Iowa State women’s basketball’s Ashley Joens added yet another honor to her storied senior campaign as she was named one of 52 region finalists by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

Joens’ season has been anything short of stellar, averaging 20.5 points and 9.6 rebounds. She has connected on a career-best 90 3-pointers and is shooting at a career-best 37.8 percent clip. The Iowa City, Iowa native helped the Cyclones to a program record 28 wins and to the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 2010.

Joens was recently named a Second-Team All-American by the Associated Press, becoming just the fourth Cyclone to be named to an All-America team.

Joens’ selection as a Region 3 Finalist puts her under consideration for the prestigious 10-member WBCA Coaches All-America Team, which will be announced on Thursday, March 31.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa women’s basketball sophomore Caitlin Clark was named a Wade Trophy finalist and WBCA All-Region honoree along with senior Monika Czinano, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced Thursday.

The Wade Trophy — in its 45th year — is the oldest and most prestigious national player of the year award in college women’s basketball. It is named in honor of the late, legendary Delta State University head coach Lily Margaret Wade, who won three consecutive national championships with the Lady Statesmen. The list includes Clark, South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston, Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard and Baylor’s NaLyssa Smith.

For the third time in program history, the Hawkeyes have produced two WBCA All-Region selections. Clark earns her second honor and Czinano joins the team for the first time.

Clark, a Des Moines, Iowa, native, led the nation in points per game (27.0), assists per game (8.0), total assists (257), total points (863), free throws made (200), triple doubles (5) and 30-point games (11). Clark is the only women’s basketball player to lead the country in both assists per game and points per game in a single season.

Czinano led the country for the second consecutive season in field-goal percentage (67.9), while ranking sixth in field goals made (277), 10th in total points (656), 13th in points per game (21.2) and 52nd in free-throw percentage (84.3).

BROOKINGS, South Dakota — The Drake University women’s basketball team fell to South Dakota State, 84-66, in the Women’s National Invite Tournament in the round of 16 Thursday evening.

SDSU opened the game with a shot beyond the arc, to which junior forward Maggie Bair retaliated with a layup to start the first half battle.

Freshman guard Katie Dinnebier tied the game with 7:37 left in the first quarter, 7-7. The Jackrabbits quickly responded with after a pair of free throws made by Myah Selland.

The Bulldogs went on an 8-0 run to finish off the first quarter and lead 22-19.

The second quarter was a constant back and forth battle for the two teams. The game tied on two occasions with seven lead changes. Heading into halftime, the Bulldogs trailed by four. Neither team led by more than five points in the first half.

Bair opened the third quarter with a layup and steal to bring the Bulldogs within two of SDSU. She finished with her third double-double of the season, as she recorded 11 points and 11 rebounds.

The Jackrabbits took an eight-point lead, their largest at that point, with 6:58 left in the third quarter and never looked back. The Bulldogs attempted to minimize the Jackrabbits lead to a single digit, but SDSU racked up eight steals in the third quarter and 25 points to slow the Bulldogs.

Drake out-rebounded South Dakota State 35-30 and recorded 18 bench points, compared to their 10.

In the fourth quarter, Drake hit four threes to bring the Jackrabbits lead down. Junior guard Megan Meyer hit two of her four threes of the evening to bring Drake within 19.

Meyer finished with 14 points and two steals. Dinnebier added 13, in addition to five assists and two steals.

Selland added 13 points for SDSU in the second half, to finish with 21.

The Bulldogs finish the season with a 20-14 record, making Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman only the second coach in Drake history to record 20 wins in their first season.

The Iowa State volleyball team will open up their 2022 spring slate in Atlantic. The Cyclones will host Omaha for a match on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at Atlantic High School. Atlantic Head Volleyball Coach Michelle Blake said that Iowa State reached out with the idea and they figured out the logistics to make it happen. Coach Blake shared what the schedule will be like for the match.

The match is being played in memory of former ISU volleyball manager and Atlantic graduate Nathan Vert who passed away unexpectedly this past December. Nathan’s family will be recognized at the match. Nathan was a classmate of Coach Blake at AHS and she said he just loved being active.

The match is free to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Former St. Albert standout Allie Petry is a member of the Cyclone squad and Brynlee Arnold of Glenwood is joining the team at Omaha so their will be some local playing connections as well. There will be a streaming option as well for those that can’t make it.

No concessions or any monetary fundraisers are allowed due to NCAA rules, but fans can just come out and enjoy a good night of volleyball and camaraderie.

The Iowa Basketball Coaches Association will hold its 2022 All-Star Games on Saturday, March 26th at Dallas Center-Grimes schools. Teams consist of 10-12 players from 4 regions across Iowa. The state has been divided into 4 regions for both boys and girls; Southeast Iowa, Northeast Iowa, Northwest Iowa, and Southwest Iowa.

Playing from the area on the Southwest Iowa Boys Team is Raydden Grobe, AHSTW. Two players from CB Abraham Lincoln were named to the Northwest Iowa Boys Team: Josh Dix and Jamison Grubar. The Southwest Iowa Girls team includes Payton Beckman from Panorama, Maddie Stewart of Mount Ayr, and Brynn Bass of Coon Rapids-Bayard. Jaiden Egbert of Shenandoah, Vanessa Koehler of Glidden-Ralston, and Caydence Moore of Sidney are on the cheer squad. Thad Streit of Mount Ayr is one of the SW Iowa Girls coaches.

Here’s a look at the schedule of games for the day:

10:15am NE Girls vs. SW Girls (High School Gym)
10:15am NW Girls vs. SE Girls (Meadows Gym)
11:30am NE Boys vs. SW Boys (High School Gym)
11:30am NW Boys vs. SE Boys (Meadows Gym)
12:45pm Women’s 3-Point Contest (Meadows Gym)
1:00pm Men’s 3-Point Contest (Meadows Gym)
1:30pm Girls Consolation Game (Meadows Gym)
2:45pm Boys Consolation Game (Meadows Gym)
4:00pm Girls Championship Game (Meadows Gym)
5:15pm Boys Championship Game (Meadows Gym)

Find out more info HERE

Sweet 16

Thursday, March 24

Friday, March 25

UNI sophomore Noah Carter announced on Wednesday that he has entered the transfer portal. The forward from Dubuque Senior was a second-team All-MVC selection this past season for the Panthers.

Carter averaged 15 points and 4.1 rebounds per game this season, shooting 48.2% from the field. This is the second time he has entered his name in the portal, the first time for just a few days in March of last year.

The 6-6, 229 pound forward helped the Panthers win the MVC Regular Season Title and a berth in the NIT. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Spring drills are underway at Iowa as the Hawkeyes look to fix an offense that ranked next to last in the Big Ten despite a 10-4 finish to the season. That includes a passing game that had a completion rate of well under 60 percent.

That’s Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz. The Hawks must replace All-American center Tyler Linderbaum but Ferentz feels an offensive line plagued by inexperience last season will show marked improvement.

Ferentz feels the offensive line made strides late in the season.

Ferentz says depth on the defensive line has allowed Logan Jones to move to center to become one of the candidates to replace Linderbaum.

Spencer Petras and Alex Padilla are on-two on the depth chart at quarterback. Joe Labas is listed third.

Iowa State senior forward George Conditt is headed home for Friday night’s Sweet-16 game against Miami. The native of Chicago will be playing his first game in the United Center.

Conditt has watched a number of games in the United Center.

Conditt says the Cyclones remain motivated by the coaches and media members who picked them to finish last in the Big 12 after last year’s 2-22 finish.

Conditt says the Cyclones are succeeding because they are playing with no fear.

The Iowa State women are getting ready for Friday night’s NCAA regional semifinal round game against Creighton. It is ISU’s first rip to the Sweet-16 since 2010 while Creighton is coming off an upset win at Iowa.

That’s Iowa State guard Emily Ryan who says these teams are similar in some ways.

Ryan says defending the three point shot is a key.

With a victory the Cyclones would advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2009. Junior forward Morgan Kane.