GAME DAY INFORMATION |
DATE: November 9, 2025
|
LOCATION: Hilton Coliseum | Ames, IA |
|
GAME DAY LINKS |
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO |
|
|
|
THE LEAD
The Pioneers embark on their longest road trip of the season as they head to Ames, Iowa for a date with the nationally ranked Iowa State Cyclones. Sacred Heart will enter Hilton Coliseum in search of its first win of the season while the Cyclone ride a 2-0 start to the year with wins over Saint Thomas and Southern.
SCOUTING SACRED HEART
The Pioneers enter Sunday in search of their first win of the season in what is the first regular season game against a ranked opponent since December 29, 2018 (L, 43-71 @ Kentucky). Entering their second game of the season, Sacred Heart continues to rely on its leading returning scorer from last season in senior Amelia Wood who finished the season opener against NJIT with a team-high 16 points. Esther Kursite followed her in the scoring column as she came off the bench to match her season-high of 11 points against the Highlanders. Sacred Heart will need to clean things up a bit after its opening game where they committed 14 turnovers, while also looking for different shooting lanes to avoid a large inside presence as the Cyclones enjoy a 6-3 center and a 6-2 post player in the starting five.
SCOUTING IOWA STATE
A year after advancing to the second round of the NCAA Championship last season, the Nov. 14/17 Iowa State women's basketball team is off to a 2-0 start to the new season with wins over Saint Thomas and Southern University. The junior class has been rather efficient for the well-seasoned head coach Bill Fennelly. Junior center Audi Crooks enters Sunday as the squad's leading scorer, averaging 24.5 points per game while shooting an impressive 70.4 percent (19-of-27). Additionally, she is pulling down 8.0 rebounds per game and has made her way to the free throw line for 15 attempts, sinking 11 of them. Following Crooks in the scoring column is junior guard Jada Williams who is averaging 13.0 points per game and has dished out nine assists. Another name to have on your radar is junior forward Addy Brown who is averaging 7.5 points while leading in the rebounding efforts at 9.5 per game and tops the team with 14 assists across the first two games.
SERIES HISTORY vs IOWA STATE
·      Sacred Heart and Iowa State meet for just the second time in the history of the two programs.
·      The previous meeting also came under 13th year head coach Jessica Mannetti as the final non-conference test during the 2016-17 season.
·      Iowa State secured the first win in the series with a 76-56 decision in Ames, Iowa.
LAST TIME THEY MET
Heading into the 2016 holiday break, the Pioneers were led by a pair of players in double figures as Sacred Heart dropped a 76-56 road decision to Iowa State. Two eventual 1,000 point-scorers, Hannah Kimmel and Adaysha Williams led Sacred Heart with 14 and 12 points, respectively. The Pioneers did pick up a victory in one aspect with a 21-15 lead in the third quarter alone and also won the turnover battle, suffering just 12 compared to 17 from the Cyclones. As a team, the Pioneers finished the game shooting 31.3 percent (21-67) from the field, including 24.0 percent (6-25) from outside the three-point arc.
NEXT TIME OUT
Continuing a stretch of four-straight road games, Sacred Heart hits the hard wood once in the week ahead as the Pioneers travel north on I-91 to take on the NEC's Central Connecticut State University. The in-state rivalry game is slated for a 7:00 p.m. tip from Detrick Gymnasium with all of the action available live on NEC Front Row.
Â
