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Iowa State University Athletics
No. 21 Cyclones Try to Snap Skid Against Nebraska
02.16.2009 | Women's Basketball
AMES, Iowa - The 21st-ranked Iowa State women's basketball team will try to bounce back from its first home loss of the season when the Cyclones play host to Nebraska at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Hilton Coliseum. ISU fell to No. 13 Texas, 55-52, on Sunday afternoon and has dropped back-to-back contests for the first time in nearly a month.
Who: No. 21/23 Iowa State (18-6; 6-4) vs. Nebraska (11-12; 2-8)
When: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009 ? 7 p.m.
Where: Ames, Iowa ? Hilton Coliseum (14,356)
Live Stats: Live stats will be available at cyclones.com
Radio: Cyclone Radio Network/Learfield: Rich Fellingham (pxp); Molly Parrott (color)
TV: FSN Midwest: Greg Sharpe (pxp); Patti Phillips (color)
Webcast: Clone Zone
Complete Pre-Event Coverage
Cyclone Notebook
? Wednesday's game vs. Nebraska is Gold Rules Day in Hilton Coliseum and all fans attending the game are encouraged to wear their gold colored apparel.
? With the loss to Texas, Iowa State fell to sixth place in the Big 12 standings. Nebraska is in a four-way tie for ninth place in the standings with a 2-8 record. The Cyclones earned a 62-48 win over the Huskers in the first meeting of the season on Jan. 24 in Lincoln.
? Iowa State ranked 16th in last week's Associated Press Top 25. It was the Cyclones' highest ranking in the AP Poll since rising to a No. 14 ranking for one week during the 2004-05 campaign.
? The Cyclones' final six games of the 2008-09 regular season will be against teams all in the bottom half of the current Big 12 standings. Iowa State has three home games remaining on the schedule, including Wednesday night's tilt with Nebraska, and three road contests.
? Before falling at No. 2 Oklahoma last Wednesday, Iowa State had won five consecutive Big 12 games, marking the longest Big 12 regular-season winning streak for the Cyclones since winning five straight to end the 2006-07 regular season. ISU stretched that streak to eight at the Big 12 Championship.
? Iowa State's 12-2 non-conference mark ranked fourth among Big 12 squads this season. The Cyclones have posted four wins over ranked teams and they have all come at home. They include wins against 20th-ranked Vanderbilt (55-51), No. 21 Oklahoma State (63-55), No. 14/12 Kansas State (60-50) and No. 10/4 Texas A&M (67-50).
? Iowa State is 6-4 in the Big 12 this season, with all four league losses coming at the hands of teams ranked in the Top 20 (No. 5/5 Baylor, No. 17/14 Kansas State, No. 2/2 Oklahoma, No. 13/14 Texas).
? ISU seniors Heather Ezell and Nicky Wieben have each joined the 1,000-point club this season. They became the 19th and 20th players, respectively, in ISU history to reach the monumental mark. Ezell reached her 1,000th career point against Drake, and Wieben cleared the hurdle against IPFW. Junior Alison Lacey also needs just 15 points to become the third Cyclone this season to join the club.
? Iowa State won a string of eight straight games from Dec. 11 through Jan. 10. The Cyclones have won 40 straight regular-season non-conference contests at Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones have not lost a regular-season non-conference game at home since the 2003-04 season (Washington).
? ISU is in its 36th season of women's basketball and its 14th season under head coach Bill Fennelly. Iowa State is 536-490 in school history.
? Iowa State is coming off a 21-13 campaign in 2007-08. The Cyclones made it to the second round of the NCAA Championship a year ago, defeating Georgia Tech in the first round and falling to Rutgers in the second. ISU finished 7-9 in the Big 12 for a seventh-place tie with Texas in the final league standings. The Cyclones made it to the Big 12 Championship semifinals by defeating Colorado, 76-50, and 15th-ranked and regular-season Big 12 champ Kansas State, 66-65, in an overtime thriller.
? Head coach Bill Fennelly is 298-138 at Iowa State and in his 14th season with the Cyclones. He is 464-191 in his head coaching career, which began at Toledo in 1988.
The Series
? Nebraska holds a 38-32 edge in the all-time series with Iowa State. The Cyclones earned a win in Lincoln this season, 62-48, over the Huskers. ISU dropped both meetings last season, each by a 10-point margin. The Cyclones hold a 16-14 lead in the series in Ames. The two teams had split the home-and-away series for four consecutive seasons, with the home team winning each time, before NU swept last season.
? Iowa State's win in Lincoln on Jan. 14 was its first in the Devaney Center for the ISU seniors. The Cyclones had not previously won in Lincoln since earning a 58-53 win over the Huskers on Jan. 25, 2003.
? In the first meeting between the two teams this season, Iowa State hit 11 three-pointers and the Cyclone defense pressured the Huskers into 22 turnovers as ISU earned a 62-48 win at Nebraska. It was ISU's first league road win of the season. Iowa State shot 39.3 percent from the field and hit 42.3 percent from long range. Iowa State outrebounded NU 34-29, after trailing 15-14 on the boards at the break. The Huskers shot 44.7 percent from the field. Alison Lacey led ISU with 14 points and Kelsey Bolte had 13. As a team, the Cyclones picked off 15 steals, including six by Lacey. Bolte ignited an 11-0 run by the Cyclones, with eight straight points of her own, to push ISU ahead 34-21. The Huskers cut the lead to six in the second half but every time Nebraska threatened, the Cyclones found answers.
A Closer Look At Nebraska
? Nebraska is coming off a 62-56 win over Texas Tech last Saturday. In each of the meetings this season between ISU and NU, the Huskers have been coming off Big 12 victories. Nebraska is 11-12 overall, 2-8 in the Big 12 and 2-8 in road contests this season.
? Nebraska was 9-4 in the non-conference slate with wins over Creighton and then-No. 24 Arizona State. The Huskers dropped a 69-65 decision to No. 19 Ohio State.
u Nebraska is without the services of all-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin, after she suffered a season-ending ankle injury late in August. Nikki Bober was also sidelined for the season after she tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee on Dec. 30.
? The Huskers are averaging 63.4 points per game and shooting 39.4 percent from the field. Five NU players are shooting 40 percent or better for the season. Nebraska is posting 36 rebounds per contest.
? Junior Cory Montgomery is leading the way for Nebraska with 14.3 points per game. She is shooting 42.5 percent from the field. She is also leading NU on the glass with 7.6 rebounds per contest. Yvonne Turner is posting 11.7 ppg and leads Nebraska with 41 three-pointers and 55 steals on the campaign.
? Head Coach Connie Yori is in her seventh season at Nebraska and has compiled a 117-93 record with the Huskers. She has led NU to back-to-back NCAA appearances in 2007 and 2008.
Cyclones on the Web
At least 16 Iowa State women's basketball games this season will be broadcast on the internet on the Clone Zone at cyclones.com. Fans can purchase monthly memberships for $8.95 or annual memberships for $79.95. Memberships also allow fans to view press conferences and special interviews with members of the Cyclone women's basketball team. The Clone Zone will broadcast the remaining games this season: Nebraska (Feb. 18), Colorado (Feb. 25) and Kansas (March 7).
Last Time Out
The 16th-ranked Iowa State women's basketball team led by five points with just over two minutes remaining, but 13th-ranked Texas ramped up the defense and the Longhorns hit big shots to come from behind to pick up a 55-52 win over the Cyclones. The Longhorn win snapped a 13-game home winning streak for the Cyclones. Alison Lacey finished with 19 points and hit three long-range field goals. Kelsey Bolte also finished in double figures for Iowa State with 11 points, hitting another three treys for ISU. Three Cyclones finished with six rebounds as ISU outrebounded the Longhorns, 37-35. Erika Arriaran led Texas with 16 points, including 13 in the second half, hitting big shot after big shot with a defensive hand in her face. Earnesia Williams got a putback to give the Longhorns their final lead (53-52) with 24 seconds left. The Longhorn defense forced a turnover on ISU's ensuing possession and the Cyclones were forced to foul. Texas hit two free throws with nine ticks left, making it a three-point game. The Longhorns forced a rushed shot that went out of bounds to clinch the win.
The Votes Are In
With a win over No. 10/4 Texas A&M, Iowa State ascended to a No. 16 ranking in last week's Associated Press Top 25. After back-to-back losses to No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 13 Texas, the Cyclones fell all the way back to 21st. ISU is one of six Big 12 teams to rank in the AP Top 25 this week. ISU's No. 16 ranking is its highest since ranking 14th for one week during the 2004-05 campaign. Iowa State dropped to a No. 23 ranking in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Top 25 this week.
1,000-Point Club Members
The Cyclones could have three different players hit the 1,000-point milestone this season. Heather Ezell (1,228) was the first to reach the mark in the win over Drake. Nicky Wieben (1,102) joined the club against IPFW. Alison Lacey (985) is also within striking distance of the mark. With the addition of Ezell and Wieben, 20 players in school history have already reached 1,000 career points.
Hilton Magic
Iowa State ranks third in attendance this season (as of Feb. 8) with an average of 9,460 fans per game through 13 games. The Cyclone fans rolled out in record fashion on Sunday, Feb. 15. Iowa State's crowd of 12,242 fans at the Texas game ranked 18th in ISU women's basketball history.
Meeting Their Match
Teams ranked in the Top 25 have met their match in Iowa State this season. The Cyclones are 4-5 against ranked teams this campaign, with all four wins coming at Hilton Coliseum. ISU's win over No. 10/4 Texas A&M was it first against a team ranked in the Associated Press Top 10 since defeating No. 2 Texas Tech, 64-63, during the 2003-04 season. It was also Iowa State's 11th overall win in program history over a team ranked in the AP top 10. The Cyclones' back-to-back wins over Kansas State and Texas A&M marked the first time ISU has defeated teams ranked in the AP Top 25 in consecutive games since the 2000-01 season.
Getting the Stop
Iowa State's defense has been solid all season, holding opponents to 54 points per game. The Cyclones have held 20 opponents under 60 points, going 17-3 in those games. Iowa State has held Big 12 opponents in nine of its first 10 games under the 60-point mark and the Cyclones held five consecutive opponents to 50 points or less. ISU held Missouri to 42 points on Jan. 21, which was the Tigers' lowest scoring output in the 67-game series. It was also the fourth lowest scoring total by an ISU opponent in Big 12 Conference history. Texas A&M's 50 points were a season low for the Aggies and the second lowest output by a TAMU team in the series with ISU. Oklahoma's 58 points were its second lowest scoring tally this season and ISU held the Sooners without a three-pointer for the first time since Feb. 6, 2008. Oklahoma's three three-point field goal attempts were the fewest in the entire Sherri Coale era.
The Magic Number
Iowa State is 70-13 (.843) all-time in Big 12 conference regular-season play when holding opponents under 60 points. ISU is 52-50 (.510) when a Big 12 opponent scores 60-79 points and 1-16 (.059) when the opponent scores 80 or more points. The Cyclones have lost 15 consecutive contests when allowing a league foe to reach the 80-point mark.
Home Court Advantage
Iowa State has been a much stronger team at Hilton Coliseum this season. The Cyclones are averaging 10.6 points per game more at home than on the road (68.2-57.6). The ISU defense is also giving up 9.5 points per game more away from Hilton. One of the most dramatic differences has been the number of free throws averaged by the home team. ISU is averaging 16 free throws made per game at home and just 7.9 on the road. ISU's opponents are posting 12.3 free throw makes per game in their home gyms, while hitting just 7.2 per game at Hilton Coliseum.
Nationally Speaking
(As of Feb. 16) Iowa State ranks in the top 38 of eight NCAA statistical categories. The Cyclones rank 11th nationally with their 7.8 three-pointers per game, but that is not all they are doing well. ISU also ranks in the top 38 in: personal fouls per game (14), rebounding margin (15), scoring defense (16), turnovers per game (17), assist-to-turnover ratio (27), won-lost margin (37) and scoring margin (38). Heather Ezell ranks ninth with 2.8 three-pointers per game and 42nd with her 40.5 three-point percent shooting. Alison Lacey ranks 56th in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Making A Mark
With each blocked shot Nicky Wieben records this season, she adds to her Iowa State career record, which currently sits at 181. In the final game before her injury last season, Wieben surpassed Angie Welle's previous ISU career mark of 155. Wieben has also moved up the Big 12 career list, moving into sole possession of ninth place against Kansas State. Three other current players in the Big 12 are also in the career top 10. She needs one more to move into eighth place.
Jocelyn Anderson also ranks in Iowa State's career top 10 for blocked shots, sitting in sixth place with 90. She now needs two to move into a tie for fifth place with Stephannie Smith (92).
Heather Ezell ranks 11th in Iowa State career scoring with 1,228 points. She is 56 points shy of 10th place (Pat Hodgson, 1,284). She broke the Iowa State career three-point attempt record on Jan. 24 (776) and ranks third with 267 three-point makes in her career. She surpassed Megan Ronhovde (241) for third place against Baylor and needs seven more to tie Stacy Frese for second place. Ezell's 182 career steals rank third in ISU school history and she needs 33 more to move into second place.
Players Mentioned
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