Cyclones stay hot with 6th consecutive win

Senior Cyclone Erica Rust led the way with 24 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks Tuesday night during a dominant 66-44 win at Glenwood as the Cyclones earned their sixth win to open its season.

“She [Rust] had a solid night,” said Cyclone Head Coach Zach Klaassen. “I thought we went into her early. I think they [Glenwood] were trying to get out on the arc and trying to take Hannah [Sonderman] and Molly [Swensen] away for the most part. She also did get some rebound put backs. We were trying to find her early and often.”

The Cyclones were locked in a close battle with the Rams the first half leading by six points at the end of the first quarter, and just two points going into the locker room at halftime.

“They came out and we’re a little quicker team than what they had a year ago,” Klaassen said. “I think they had five 3’s at halftime, and out of 22, 15 of them were 3’s at halftime. We just talked about how we’re going to give up 3’s, but they need to be contested 3’s. They did a little bit better job of that the second half, and they didn’t shoot quite as well.”

The second half, the Cyclones came out stronger, outscoring the Rams by 10 in the third quarter and eight in the fourth. Multiple Cyclones contributed, including Sonderman with 19 points, and Schwieso with 10 points and six assists, keeping the Cyclones undefeated at 6-0 to open the season.

“The second half we came out with a little more energy, and we got the pace to where we wanted it, and it worked out pretty well for us,” Klaassen added.

The Cyclones will remain on the road Friday night at 6 p.m. as they prepare for another Hawkeye Ten opponent in the 2-5 Red Oak Tigers. The Tigers are led by Olivia Bozwell with 67 points, averaging 9.6 per game, and Merced Ramirez averaging eight rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.

“We’ve just got to stay focused,” Klaassen said. “When we’re out on the court, you’ve got to be focused on what you’re job is, and what you need to do to make the team successful, and yourself successful. It doesn’t matter who your opponent is or what the situation is, there’s not time to have a let down.”