Iowa State guard Denae Fritz (3) shoots over Texas guard Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda (32) in the course of the second half of an NCAA faculty basketball recreation, Monday, Feb. 13, 2023, in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State gained 66-61. (AP Picture/Charlie Neibergall)
AMES — Denae Fritz didn’t hesitate.
The Iowa State girls’s basketball freshman guard stood within the nook as teammate Emily Ryan slung her the cross. She set herself, gathered within the basketball and ready to hit a key shot in a fraught second.
The end result? Swish.
Fritz’s clutch 3-pointer with 37 seconds left basically sealed the No. 22 Cyclones’ rousing 66-61 win over Seventeenth-ranked Texas Monday Evening at Hilton Coliseum.
“I simply shot the ball form like some other three,” mentioned Fritz, who helped ISU (16-7, 8-5 Massive 12) snap a seven-game skid towards the first-place Longhorns (20-7, 11-3). “I didn’t actually take into consideration how a lot time was left. I simply knew it was getting late within the sizzling clock and I needed to shoot it regardless. Emily threw me the ball and I simply shot it.”
That shot propelled her head coach, Invoice Fennelly, to his 750th profession victory. He’s simply the twenty seventh coach all-time to notch that many wins — and the thirteenth to file all of these victories for Division I applications.
“This place is so particular and what they’ve executed for me and my household, there’s no strategy to quantify that,” mentioned Fennelly, who’s in his twenty eighth season main ISU’s program. “I’ve had quite a lot of nice coaches, quite a lot of nice gamers and I really feel actually fortunate that a spot like Iowa State has allowed me to do that for so long as I’ve.”
Ashley Joens led the Cyclones with 24 factors and eight rebounds. ISU led by as many as 14 factors earlier than Texas rallied to path 58-55 with 2:52 left. Joens then transformed a 3-point play, earlier than Longhorns star level guard Rori Harmon transformed a layup to make the rating 61-57 with 1:24 remaining. Cue Fritz — who hit her massive shot 47 seconds later after teammate Nyamer Diew secured an offensive rebound to maintain the possession alive.
“She’s a tough-minded child,” Fennelly mentioned of Fritz, who scored 10 factors and grabbed seven rebounds. “She likes the second. She actually likes this sort of recreation the place there’s quite a lot of stuff occurring, however not stunned she took it and the ball was delivered completely.”
The Cyclones ended a three-game dropping streak and pulled right into a tie for third place within the convention standings. ISU faces back-to-back powerful highway exams Saturday at Baylor and subsequent Wednesday at Oklahoma State, so Monday’s win might be important by way of securing a excessive Massive 12 end and probably first- and second-round NCAA Match video games at dwelling.
“I believe simply having a tough couple of video games there and with the ability to come out at Hilton, and have our followers with us, and get a win simply put us again on observe,” Joens mentioned. “It motivates us to proceed going ahead.”
Harmon led Texas with 19 factors. The Longhorns noticed a seven-game win streak snapped regardless of grabbing 22 offensive rebounds. The Cyclones held them to 30 % taking pictures within the first half and 39 % total.
“I knew what I used to be strolling into,” Texas coach Vic Shaefer mentioned. “I knew what that buzzsaw was gonna appear to be. Coach (Fennelly) had his group prepared and my group wasn’t. His youngsters are so aggressive. You discuss powerful. These youngsters are powerful, man.”
Living proof: ISU guard Lexi Donarski. She had her lip break up after some contact within the first half, however returned and hit two key 3-pointers to finish the third quarter and begin the fourth.
“I believed I misplaced a tooth,” mentioned Donarski, who scored 11 factors and drilled three 3-pointers. “That’s why I began crying, as a result of I believed I misplaced a tooth. However I didn’t, so we’re good.”
And again on observe. Due to stable protection and 8-of-15 3-point taking pictures. Fritz’s late long-range swish got here at a important second, however the Cyclones had been good each inside and out of doors the whole recreation.
“We talked earlier than the sport about let’s simply battle,” Fennelly mentioned. “When you care about one thing in your life you battle and I believed we fought exhausting tonight.”
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