Iowa State University Athletics
ISU Plays Host to Mizzou on "Think Pink" Day
02.07.2008 | Women's Basketball
Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008 ? 7:30 p.m.
Ames, Iowa ? Hilton Coliseum (14,356)
Radio: Cyclone Radio Network/Learfield
Talent: Rich Fellingham (pxp); Brent Blum (color)
Webcast: Clone Zone
Cyclone Notebook
- In the second of three straight games for Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum, the Cyclones will play host to Missouri at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. ISU will “Think Pink” as a part of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's nationwide initiative to raise breast cancer awareness. Iowa State coaches and student-athletes will be wearing pink and fans are encouraged to join in the effort and wear pink to the game. Pink three-point cards will be handed out and pink “Ts-4-3s” will be thrown into the crowd when a Cyclone hits a trey.
- Following the game against Missouri, the Cyclones will face Kansas State at Hilton Coliseum in the second meeting of the season.
- Iowa State front court starters Toccara Ross and Nicky Wieben will miss the remainder of the 2007-08 season due to torn ACLs. Ross tore the ACL in her right knee against Minnesota and Wieben tore the ACL in her left knee at Texas. Ross is eligible for a redshirt, while Wieben is not.
- Iowa State will return its entire roster next season. Ross was ISU's only senior and should be eligible for another year of competition after her season-ending injury.
- With a 76-50 win over Montana State, the Cyclones collected their 500th win in program history. They are now 510-479 overall. ISU is 11 games shy of 1,000 contests in school history.
- Missouri holds a 45-19 lead in the all-time series with Iowa State, and claims a 16-12 lead in Ames. The two teams split the series last season, with each team winning at home. On Feb. 4, 2007, Iowa State defeated Mizzou, 76-68, at Hilton Coliseum. Iowa State has won four of the last six meetings with the Tigers.
- The Cyclones have won 17 straight at home against non-conference opponents. The loss to Oklahoma snapped an overall 15-game win streak for Iowa State in Hilton Coliseum.
- Missouri is 8-14 this season and is 1-8 in the Big 12. The Tigers took No. 10 Oklahoma to the wire on Wednesday before falling, 64-57, in the final minute of play.
- Subscribers to the Clone Zone will have access to four more live game web casts of the women's basketball team, including Saturday's game against Missouri. To subscribe to the Clone Zone, go to Cyclones.com.
- Iowa State returned 10 letterwinners from its 2006-07 NCAA Tournament team. Last year's squad went 26-9 overall and 10-6 to finish tied for fourth in the Big 12 Conference. Iowa State lost four players from last season, including a pair of four-year starters in Lyndsey Medders and Megan Ronhovde.
- The Cyclones added three newcomers to their roster this season, but only one is a freshman. Kelsey Bolte is Iowa State's only true freshman from Ida Grove, Iowa. Denae Stuckey is a sophomore transfer from Butler Community College and junior Jocelyn Anderson came to ISU from Des Moines Area Community College.
- Iowa State is coming off one of its best seasons in school history, recording a 26-9 overall record, one win shy of the school record. The Cyclones made the postseason for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons, making it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cyclones won nine of their final 11 games of the season and won three games in as many days to make it to the title game of the Big 12 Championship against Oklahoma in Oklahoma City.
- Head coach Bill Fennelly is 273-126 at Iowa State and in his 13th season with the Cyclones. He is 439-179 in his head coaching career, which began at Toledo in 1988.
A Closer Look At Missouri
- Missouri is 8-14 this season and 1-8 in the Big 12. The Tigers are 0-5 on the road. MU defeated Texas Tech, 68-59, for its only conference win on Jan. 12, and has dropped seven straight since.
- Mizzou is averaging 61 points per game this season, while giving up 66.8. MU is posting 54.2 ppg during conference action. The Tigers are shooting 39.6 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from three-point range. Alyssa Hollins leads the Tigers with 16.3 points per game, knocking down 2.7 three-pointers per contest.
- MU ranks fourth in the Big 12 in three-point percentage, hitting 34.7 percent from long range. The Tigers are averaging 6.4 treys.
- Mizzou head coach Cindy Stein is in her 10th season with the Tigers. She has compiled a 158-135 overall record during her tenure. She has led Missouri to three NCAA Tournament berths, including a trip to the Sweet Sixteen in 2004.
Quick Hits
- Iowa State is 3-5 in the Big 12 Conference, and has had three players average double figures through the first eight league games, led by freshman Kelsey Bolte with 17 points per contest. Alison Lacey is averaging 16.4 ppg. Nicky Wieben posted 10.3 ppg in the Big 12 before being sidelined for the rest of the season with an injury in the Texas game. Heather Ezell has posted 9.3 points a game in conference action.
- The Cyclones have swept the state of Iowa for the last three seasons, winning all three games against instate Division I opponents. ISU knocked of Iowa, 58-44, Drake, 58-51, and Northern Iowa, 69-41, for its third straight mythical state title this season.
- Freshman Kelsey Bolte scored 20 or more points in each of her first four Big 12 games (she is believed to be the first freshman in conference history to accomplish this task) and has contributed double figures in all but one league game this season. She is averaging 17 ppg in conference play to rank fifth in the Big 12.
- The Cyclones hit 10 treys at home against Colorado and are now averaging 7.8 threes per game for the season. A Cyclone player has hit five or more treys in seven different contests this season. Alison Lacey has hit three or more treys in 10 of the last 14 games, and has hit five or more on five occasions, including knocking down five vs. Texas Tech.
- Junior Nicky Wieben was in double digits in 11 games this season, before being sidelined for the season with a knee injury. Wieben led the Cyclones in scoring in six contests.
- Nicky Wieben and Jocelyn Anderson have combined for 82 of ISU's 102 blocked shots. Wieben averaged 2.2 blocks per game after swatting seven in the first half against Hampton. She holds the ISU class record for freshmen and sophomores and finished the season fourth on the junior list with 35. Anderson holds the junior class record with 47 blocked shots this season and is averaging 2.2 per contest.
- Amanda Nisleit is averaging 6.0 ppg, after entering the season averaging 1.6 for her career. She is averaging 4.4 rebounds per contest after coming in posting 1.2 rpg.
- Toccara Ross earned the Cyclones' first double-double of the season against Iowa with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Kelsey Bolte got the second double-double of the season against Creighton with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Nicky Wieben added the third of the year at Colorado with 14 points and 11 boards.
- Junior forward Gillian Bjerke has transferred to Concordia University, St. Paul, a Division II school. Bjerke did not play for the Cyclones this season, but had played in 26 games in her career prior to this season.
Record Set
Junior Nicky Wieben broke Angie Welle's Iowa State career record for blocked shots against Texas, before suffering her season-ending knee injury. Wieben reset the record at 156 blocked shots in her first three seasons at ISU. Welle set the previous record from 1998 to 2002 with 155. Wieben is also now seventh on the Big 12 career list.
Build It and They Will Come
In the national attendance rankings which were last put out on Monday, Feb. 4, by the University of Wisconsin, ISU ranked sixth nationally in fans per game with 8,831.
Last Time Out
Alison Lacey scored 32 points and Jocelyn Anderson poured in a career-high 14 as Iowa State turned back Texas Tech, 66-58, Wednesday night at Hilton Coliseum. The score was tied at 21 at the half, but the Cyclones shot 54.5 percent and scored 45 points in the second half to earn the win. Iowa State outrebounded the Lady Raiders, 41-31, and hit 20 free throws to Texas Tech's five. Lacey finished the night going 11-of-23 from the field and 5-of-11 from three-point range. It was the fifth time this season she has hit five or more treys in a game. Anderson had the biggest game of her career, going 6-of-9 from the floor for 14 points, to go with her nine rebounds and six blocked shots. She now holds the ISU junior class record for blocked shots with 47 this season.
Dynamic Duo
Combined, Kelsey Bolte and Alison Lacey have gone 92-for-202 from three-point range this season, good for 46.1 percent. The pair ranks first and second, respectively, in the Big 12 in three-point accuracy.
Bench Production
Since freshman Kelsey Bolte and junior Jocelyn Anderson have entered the starting lineup full-time, the Cyclone bench production has dropped off significantly. Going into the game at Texas, Iowa State was averaging 18.6 points per game off the bench. In the last five games, the Cyclone bench has produced just 22 points for a 4.4 ppg average.
Big 12 Rookie Honors
Freshman Kelsey Bolte was named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week for the first two weeks of Big 12 Conference action. She has been Iowa State's leading scorer through the first eight games of Big 12 Conference action, averaging 18.4 points and 6.1 rebounds. She ranks third in scoring in Big 12 games only. Bolte shot 64 percent from the floor and 83.3 percent (5-6) from beyond the arc against Oklahoma and Colorado. The 6-1 freshman guard was also 7-of-8 from the charity stripe and picked off five steals in the two games. In the loss to Oklahoma, Bolte was 8-of-12 from the field after missing her last three shots. She started the game 8-of-9 from the floor. In the double-overtime win at Colorado, Bolte averaged 20 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in contests against Texas and Nebraska. The guard shot 51.7 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range.
Reaching Milestones
Junior Nicky Wieben is 121 points shy of becoming the 19th player in Iowa State history to join the 1,000-point club. Wieben ends the season with 879 career points for the Cyclones. Heather Ezell broke the 750 mark vs. Colorado, now holding 774 career points, and Alison Lacey hit 500 points against Nebraska, and now has 582.
Two of a Kind
Alison Lacey and Heather Ezell have combined for 99 of Iowa State's 163 three-pointers this season. Lacey is eighth in the nation in three-point percentage. She also ranks 13th in three-pointers per game.
Ezell hit 10 three-pointers against Sacramento State. Lacey hit nine treys in the next contest against Michigan and drained seven at Colorado. The pair knocked down nine combined three-pointers at Minnesota, 10 combined against Bowling Green and 10 combined at Colorado.
Lacey has hit a three-pointer in all but one game this season. Ezell has had one in 14 of the Cyclones' 21 games. Lacey has hit three or more in 11 games this season, including 10 of the last 14. Ezell has hit three or more five times.
Taking Care of the Ball
Sophomore point guard Alison Lacey is in her first season as Iowa State's starting point guard, but has aged quickly, ranking 29th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio. She has been a key cog in making the ISU offense run this season, passing out 4.2 assists per game, while committing just 2.3 turnovers per contest. In the first eight Big 12 contests, Lacey has had 31 assists and 18 turnovers.
70 Is the Magic Number
ISU is 65-5 (.929) in the last five seasons when scoring 70+ points in a game. The Cyclones snapped a 24-game win streak when reaching the 70-point mark against Nebraska. The streak dated back to a 79-71 OT win over Wisconsin-Green Bay on March 16, 2006.
Getting Defensive
Iowa State has held opponents to 56.2 points per game and Nebraska and Kansas State are the only two teams to break the 70-point mark in regulation against ISU this season. The Cyclones are third in the nation in fewest fouls per game with 13.2 per game. ISU's opponents have shot 38 percent from the floor and 31.6 percent from three-point range. ISU has forced opponents into 15.3 turnovers per game.
Nationally Speaking
ISU ranked in the top 30 in six NCAA statistical categories, released Feb. 4, including ranking third in the nation in fewest personal fouls per game. The Cyclones are sixth in three-pointers per game (7.9), 21st in three-point percentage (.375), 19th in blocked shots per game (5.1) and 21st in turnovers per game (14.6). Iowa State is also 31st in assist-to-turnover ratio. On an individual level, Alison Lacey is eighth in three-point percentage, 13th in threes per game, 29th in assist-to-turnover ratio and 88th in assists per game. Nicky Wieben is 36th in blocked shots per contest and Jocelyn Anderson is 42nd in the same category. Heather Ezell is 90th in assist-to-turnover ratio as well.
Big 12 Rankings
As a team, Iowa State ranks in the top six of the conference in seven of 19 statistical categories. The Cyclones lead the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.373) and three-pointers per game (7.8). Iowa State is second in assist-to-turnover margin and rebounding defense. ISU is third in scoring defense and fourth in blocked shots. In Big 12 games only, Iowa State is fourth in assists (12.3) and in assist-to-turnover ratio. Individually, Kelsey Bolte and Alison Lacey rank first and second, respectively, in the league in three-point percentage and Lacey leads the Big 12 in three-pointers made with 2.9 per contest. Heather Ezell is eighth in three-pointers made with 1.9 pg. Lacey and Ezell also rank fourth and seventh, respectively, in assist-to-turnover ratio. Lacey is ninth in scoring (14.8 ppg) and Bolte ranks third ranks fifth in scoring in Big 12 games only with 17 ppg. Lacey is sixth in assists (4.2). Nicky Wieben is 19th in scoring (12.7 ppg) and seventh in blocked shots (2.2), while teammate Jocelyn Anderson is fifth in the same category (2.2).
Down on the Block
Junior Nicky Wieben finished in double figures against Colorado (14), marking the 45th time in her ISU career she has scored in double digits and the 11th time this season to score 10+ points for the Cyclones.
Big 12 Player of the Week
Heather Ezell was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday, Nov. 19, after she tied the Big 12 and Iowa State records for three-pointers in a single game, knocking down 10 in a 99-45 win over Sacramento State. She broke the Hilton Coliseum record, which was previously eight three-pointers, and she tied Stacy Frese (ISU, 1999) and Laurie Koehn (Kansas State, 2003) in the Big 12 record book.
Coaching Consistency
Iowa State has returned the same coaching staff for the last five seasons. Associate head coach Jack Easley is the newest to the staff and is in his fifth campaign with the Cyclones. Latoja Schaben is not new to the staff, but she was married during the offseason, going from Latoja Harris to Latoja Schaben. She played for Coach Fennelly at Toledo, while fellow assistant Jodi Steyer coached for Fennelly at Toledo from 1989 to 1996 and has been at Iowa State for the past five seasons.
Coming On Board
Iowa State will add the services of three outstanding newcomers in 2008-09, head coach Bill Fennelly announced when Ashley Arlen (Cascade, Iowa), Whitney Williams (Ft. Worth, Texas) and Alexis Yackley (Onida, S.D.) each signed national letters of intent.
Arlen is a 6-1 forward, who averaged 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and two blocks per game, while shooting 56 percent from the field for the Cascade Bruins last season.
Williams, a 5-7 guard, plays for the Texas Home Educators Sports Association (THESA) of Fort Worth, which finished 38-12 last year under head coach Alan Burt. She hit 206 three-pointers at a 48.7 percent clip and averaged 24.3 points as a junior.
Yackley, also a 5-7 guard, has been the starting point guard for Sully Buttes High School since the eighth grade, and led the Chargers to the South Dakota State B Basketball state title last season. She was named first-team all-state as a sophomore and junior.
Fennelly's the Dean of the Big 12
With Jody Conradt stepping down as head coach at the University of Texas at the conclusion of last season, Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly became the new dean of Big 12 coaches. Fennelly wrapped up his 12th season at Iowa State, followed closely by Deb Patterson (Kansas State) and Sherri Coale (Oklahoma), who each finished their 11th campaign at a Big 12 institution. Fennelly is second in Big 12 regular-season wins by current league coaches with 113, behind Coale (116).
Home Sweet Hilton Magic
The Cyclones have been phenomenal at home during head coach Bill Fennelly's tenure, compiling a 165-29 record (.850) in Hilton Coliseum, including a 78-3 (.963) mark against regular-season non-conference opponents. Iowa State was a last-second shot away from going undefeated at home in 2006-07, finishing with a 15-1 record at Hilton. ISU finished the 2006-07 season ranked seventh in attendance, marking the ninth consecutive season the Cyclones have ranked 11th or higher in the nation.
Trey Bien
Iowa State has made at least one three-pointer in 400 consecutive games dating back to 1995. That streak now ranks second in the nation. Canisius College unofficially holds the longest current streak at 414 consecutive games, while Iowa State is second.
NCAA Tournament Host
Iowa State will play host to the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball First and Second Rounds at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, on March, 22 and 24, 2008. The site will host eight teams and if Iowa State is selected for the 2008 NCAA Tournament, it is guaranteed that the Cyclones will be one of the eight teams that will play in Des Moines. The teams selected to play in Des Moines will be announced on the NCAA Selection Show on ESPN Monday, March 17, 2008.
Fans can purchase all-session tickets ($35 for adults and $20 for students and youth) and single-session tickets ($15 for adults and $10 for students and youth per session). A single-session ticket will be available the week of the event and each session will include two games. Anyone 18 and under and all college students qualify for the student/youth fee. Fans can purchase tickets online at www.dahlstickets.com or by calling 1-8866-55DAHLS (866-553-2457).
