3 takeaways from Iowa State's season-opening blowout: Freshman Aili Tanke fantastic in debut

AMES — A banked-in 3-pointer from the left wing as the first quarter expired put Chicago State on the scoreboard, but didn't change the game.

No. 8 Iowa State defeated Chicago State 96-56 in the season opener Monday in Hilton Coliseum.

After winning an exhibition against Central College 105-53 last week, it's an official successful start to an ISU season that comes with high expectations. The Cyclones placed second in the Big 12 preseason rankings, just two votes behind Kansas State.

Here are three takeaways from Monday's game:

It's a good thing Aili Tanke accepted her starting role in debut

Aili Tanke learned she was starting Sunday walking out of practice. She almost didn't believe it when coach Bill Fennelly, getting into his car, asked if she was ready for the game.

Tanke, the freshman from Johnston, said she was.

"Well, good, Fennelly said. "Because you're starting."

"I didn't really believe it until today right before the game," Tanke said. "It kind of felt like a dream; I honestly didn't believe it. I was scared to tell people because I was like, 'What if I just imagined it?'"

Teammate Addy Brown said Tanke's consistency in practice has impressed her. Tanke, playing her first official game in Hilton Coliseum, packed with hundreds of screaming elementary school students for Education Day, looked like she was at another day of practice.

Tanke led the Cyclones with three 3-pointers on just four attempts and finished with 12 points. She added an assist, three rebounds and no turnovers.

"When you're a freshman and you start in this environment, you never know how it's going to go," Fennelly said. "And she played really well, really smart, and I thought for her first college game, that was really good."

There is a hidden danger for opponents who miss free throws In the first quarter, Iowa State's willingness to push the ball translated into back-to-back three-pointers. When Chicago State guard Keone Mcgee got fouled and went to the free-throw line, ISU center Audi Crooks twice dropped back to her own free-throw line after Mcgee's first attempt.

Mcgee missed the free throw and point guard Emily Ryan secured the rebound. Ryan pushed the ball up the floor and set up an open 3-point shot for Arianna Jackson.

The next possession, CSU center Kayla Mount missed her second free throw. Brown secured the rebound and ISU again pushed the ball up the floor. Tanke made a 3-pointer off another assist from Ryan.

"Everything for us is transition based," Fennelly said. "And when you get a missed free throw a lot of times, we practice that a lot, but the situation we get into is there's like this hesitation by the other team and we're trying to get it up the floor before they get set."

Ryan finished the game with a team-high six assists, all in the first half.

Addy Brown, not Audi Crooks, the more dominant inside presence Iowa State thrived in the paint, outscoring the undersized Cougars 38 to 10. Addy Brown did just a little more damage than Audi Crooks.

Brown led the Cyclones with 20 points on 6-of-9 shots. Brown was effective outside, making two or her three 3-point shots, but popped defensively with three blocked shots on the low block, a steal and nine rebounds.

"I don't think a whole lot about it," Brown said. "I just try to do everything out there, rebound, find my teammates, score when I can and when they need me to."

Crooks, a sophomore and Iowa State's leading scorer from a year ago, scored 16 points but was less efficient than Brown. Crooks shot 50% from the floor (five-of-10) and turned the ball over twice. She grabbed four rebounds.

"I've said this many times: If we didn't have Audi Crooks, Addy Brown would get all that attention," Fennelly said. "She is as skilled, as talented, as any player at her position in the country. When her motor is going, she can post up, shoot the three, she's a great passer, at times an engaged and motivated defender."

Sophomore center Lilly Taulelei could return on Thursday for ISU's next game against Indiana State. Taulelei is recovering from an ankle sprain in the preseason and watched the game in street clothes from the bench. Fennelly said Taulelei worked out before the game and looked good in an individual 45-minute workout.