Iowa State University Athletics
Cyclones Begin Two-Game Road Trip at Texas Tech
02.26.2009 | Women's Basketball
AMES, Iowa - The 25th-ranked Iowa State women's basketball team will travel to Texas Tech for an 8 p.m. game Saturday in the first of two straight road games for the Cyclones. The Lady Raiders are the final Big 12 South opponent of the regular season for ISU, and the Cyclones will try to finish an even 3-3 against the southern division schools.
Who: No. 25/24 Iowa State (20-7; 8-5) vs. Texas Tech (15-12; 5-8)
When: Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009 ? 8 p.m.
Where: Lubbock, Texas ? United Spirit Arena (15,050)
Live Stats: Live stats will be available at cyclones.com
Radio: Cyclone Radio Network/Learfield: Rich Fellingham (pxp); Molly Parrott (color)
TV: Texas Tech Television Network
TV broadcast only available in Lubbock
Complete Pre-Event Coverage
Cyclone Notebook
? With its victory Wednesday night against Colorado, Iowa State claimed its 20th win of the season and assured itself a .500 record or better in the Big 12. The Cyclones have now finished with 20 wins in each of the last three seasons and 10 times in school history, including nine under head coach Bill Fennelly.
? Iowa State is in the midst of a three-way tie for fourth place in the Big 12 standings. The Cyclones are tied with Kansas State and Texas, all with 8-5 league marks, and are one game behind Texas A&M at 9-4. The teams will battle it out over the final three games of the regular season, with each vying for a top-four finish and a bye in the first round of the Big 12 Championship.
? The Cyclones' win over Colorado on Wednesday was head coach Bill Fennelly's 300th career win at Iowa State.
? After a dismal offensive game at Kansas last Sunday, the Cyclones were on fire against Colorado, using their offense to upend the Buffaloes. Iowa State went 10-for-20 from beyond the arc, including a 5-of-6 effort from Kelsey Bolte, and the Cyclones went 24-for-26 from the charity stripe. ISU was a perfect 24-for-24, before missing two free throws in the final minute of the contest.
? Four of ISU's five league losses have come to teams ranked in the Top 20 (No. 5/5 Baylor, No. 17/14 Kansas State, No. 2/2 Oklahoma, No. 13/14 Texas).
u Iowa State ranked 16th in the Associated Press Top 25 two weeks ago. 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.
? 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).
? Three Cyclones have joined the 1,000-point club this season, beginning with seniors Heather Ezell and Nicky Wieben and capped by junior Alison Lacey, who reached the mark in ISU's last win over Nebraska. It is the first time in school history three players have reached the 1,000-point mark in the same season, but it is the second time the Cyclones have had three 1,000-point scorers on the same team (Angie Welle, Lindsey Wilson, Tracy Gahan; 2001-02).
? 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 538-491 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 300-139 at Iowa State and in his 14th season with the Cyclones. He is 466-192 in his head coaching career, which began at Toledo in 1988.
The Series
? Texas Tech leads the all-time series with Iowa State, 8-7, but the Cyclones have won the last three meetings between the two teams. The Lady Raiders hold a 5-1 advantage in games in Lubbock. ISU won the last meeting in Lubbock in 2007 to break the winless streak.
? Last season, the two teams met at the halfway point in the Big 12 slate. Iowa State picked up a 66-58 win behind 32 points from Alison Lacey. The score was tied 21-all at the break, but the Cyclones shot 54.5 percent from the field and scored 45 points in the second half. Iowa State went 20-for-29 from the charity stripe.
A Closer Look At Texas Tech
? Texas Tech is in seventh place in the Big 12 standings. After falling at Baylor Wednesday night, 83-53, the Lady Raiders now hold a 15-12 overall record and are 5-8 in the Big 12. Tech has lost three of its last four, but its one victory in that stretch came on the road at Oklahoma State.
? The Lady Raiders have three players averaging 10 points per game or better, led by senior Dominic Seals' 13.5 ppg average. Seals also leads TTU with 34 blocked shots this season. Junior Jordan Murphree has posted 11.3 points per game and has hit 23 three-pointers this season. Freshman Kierra Mallard has posted 10 points per game and leads the Lady Raiders with 8.1 rebounds per contest.
? As a team, Texas Tech is shooting 39.4 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from beyond the arc. The Lady Raiders are hitting 70.6 percent from the foul line. Tech is averaging 65 points per game for the season, but just 59.8 ppg in Big 12 contests. The Lady Raiders are averaging 39.3 rebounds per game.
? Texas Tech head coach Kristy Curry is in her third season at the helm of the Lady Raiders. Curry has compiled a record of 47-44 at Tech and a career record of 226-95 in her 10th year.
Last Time Out
Iowa State finally found the offensive balance it has been looking for all season as three players finished in double figures to give the Cyclones a 76-63 win over Colorado Wednesday night. The win was the 300th in ISU head coach Bill Fennelly's tenure at Iowa State. ISU improved to 20-7 on the campaign, giving the Cyclones a 20-win season for the 10th time in school history and the ninth time under Fennelly. Kelsey Bolte led the Cyclones with a career-high tying 23 points, including going 5-of-6 from three-point range, and was ISU's top rebounder with nine boards. She also recorded three steals and three assists. Alison Lacey scored 20 points and pulled down seven rebounds, while Nicky Wieben added 19 points. Amanda Nisleit was on the cusp of double figures with nine points and seven rebounds. Iowa State's 76 points were the Cyclones' highest offensive output since scoring 84 against IPFW on Jan. 7. The Cyclones finished going 24-for-26 from the charity stripe and were perfect until there was less than a minute remaining in the contest. ISU shot 41.2 percent from the field and 50 percent (10-20) from long range.
The Votes Are In
With a win over No. 10/4 Texas A&M, Iowa State ascended to a No. 16 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25. After falling at Kansas, the Cyclones find themselves ranked 25th this week. ISU is one of six Big 12 teams to rank in the AP Top 25. 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. 24 ranking in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Top 25 this week as well.
1,000-Point Club Members
The Cyclones now have had three different players hit the 1,000-point milestone this season. Heather Ezell (1,241) was the first to reach the mark in the win over Drake. Nicky Wieben (1,157) joined the club against IPFW. Alison Lacey (1,035) became the third in the home win over Nebraska. With the addition of these three, 21 players in school history have reached 1,000 career points. This is the first time Iowa State has had three players hit the mark in the same season. Three members of the 2001-02 squad reached 1,000 career points, but they didn't all hit the mark during that campaign. Seven times in school history ISU has had two or more 1,000-point club members on the same squad.
On the Line
With a spectacular 24-for-26 showing from the charity stripe against Colorado on Wednesday, the Cyclones improved their season free throw shooting to 73 percent, which leads the Big 12 Conference. ISU was a perfect 24-for-24 before missing its last two in the final minute of the contest. Four Cyclones have current streaks of seven or more made free throws (Whitney Williams-7; Alison Lacey-11; Kelsey Bolte-12; Nicky Wieben-19). Three current players rank in the ISU's career top 10 for free throw percentage, and four more have percentages high enough to make the top 10 list, but do not have the required minimum 100 attempts.
Hilton Magic
Iowa State ranks third in attendance this season (as of Feb. 22) with an average of 9,666 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 53.9 points per game. The Cyclones have held 22 opponents under 60 points, going 18-4 in those games. Iowa State has held Big 12 opponents in 11 of its first 13 league games under the 60-point mark and the Cyclones have held Big 12 teams to 50 points or less six times (including five consecutive games). ISU held Missouri to 42 points on Jan. 21, which was the Tigers' lowest scoring output in the 67-game series, and the Cyclones held Nebraska to a season-low 38 points on Feb. 18, which was the Huskers' lowest scoring output in the 71-game series. 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. Iowa State held the Sooners without a three-pointer for the first time since Feb. 6, 2008. Oklahoma's three three-point field goal attempts against the Cyclones were the fewest in the entire Sherri Coale era.
The Magic Number
Iowa State is 71-14 (.835) all-time in Big 12 conference regular-season play when holding opponents under 60 points. ISU is 53-50 (.515) 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 11.8 points per game more at home than on the road (68.2-56.4). The ISU defense is also giving up 9.1 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 16.1 free throws made per game at home and just 8.6 on the road. ISU's opponents are posting 12.9 free throw makes per game in their home gyms, while hitting just 6.8 per game at Hilton Coliseum.
Nationally Speaking
(As of Feb. 22) Iowa State ranks in the top 32 of seven NCAA statistical categories. The Cyclones ranks in the top 32 in: scoring defense (11), three-point field goals per game (12), personal fouls per game (12), turnovers per game (15), rebounding margin (19), assist-to-turnover ratio (26), and three-point field goal percentage (32). Heather Ezell ranks 21st with 2.6 three-pointers per game and 52nd with her 38.9 three-point percent shooting. Alison Lacey ranks 82nd 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 185. 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 eighth place at Kansas. She needs 19 to move up to seventh place.
Jocelyn Anderson also ranks in Iowa State's career top 10 for blocked shots, sitting in sixth place with 91. She now needs one more to move into a tie for fifth place with Stephannie Smith (92).
Heather Ezell ranks 11th in Iowa State career scoring with 1,241 points. She is 43 points shy of 10th place (Pat Hodgson, 1,284). She broke the Iowa State career three-point attempt record on Jan. 24 (786) 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 185 career steals rank third in ISU school history and she needs 30 more to move into second place.
