Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus UCF on January 31, 2026 , Win , 65, to, 52
Final
Women's Basketball
65
UCF
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Iowa State University Athletics
Cyclones Look to Extend Winning Streak at CU
02.05.2009 | Women's Basketball
AMES, Iowa - The No. 21/23 Iowa State women's basketball team will try to run its winning streak to five Saturday when the Cyclones travel to Boulder to take on the Colorado Buffaloes at 3 p.m. (CST). Iowa State has won its last four, including the last two against top 15 teams. The game against the Buffs will be televised by FSN Rocky Mountain, meaning people outside of Colorado will only be able to see the game with a specific sports package which includes all FSN channels.
Who: No. 21/23 Iowa State (17-4; 5-2) vs. Colorado (10-10; 2-6)
When: Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009 ? 3 p.m. (CST)
Where: Boulder, Colo. ? Coors Events Center (11,064)
Live Stats: Live stats will be available at cyclones.com
Radio: Cyclone Radio Network/Learfield: Dave Sprau (pxp); Molly Parrott (color)
TV: FSN RM (Rocky Mountain): Talent: Marc Stout (pxp); Ceal Barry (color); Alanna Rizzo (sideline)
Complete Pre-Event Coverage
Cyclone Notebook
? Following the game at Colorado the Cyclones will remain on the road, traveling to No. 2/2 Oklahoma. Iowa State will next return home on Feb. 15 for a nationally televised game (ESPN2) against No. 16/18 Texas in the Cyclones' Pink Zone game. Fans are encouraged to pack Hilton Coliseum in pink as a part of the WBCA initiative to raise breast cancer awareness.
? 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 5-2 in the Big 12 this season, with both league losses coming on the road against teams ranked in the Top 20 (No. 5/5 Baylor, No. 17/14 Kansas State).
? 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 47 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 535-488 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 297-136 at Iowa State and in his 14th season with the Cyclones. He is 463-189 in his head coaching career, which began at Toledo in 1988.
The Series
? Colorado holds a 36-25 edge in the all-time series with Iowa State. The Cyclones are 18-12 against the Buffaloes since the inception of the Big 12.
? Iowa State has won the last four meetings with Colorado, and the Cyclones have claimed nine out of the last 10 meetings. The two teams met three times last season. Iowa State won a double-overtime battle with the Buffs (84-77) in Boulder. The Cyclones claimed a 65-45 win in Ames, and knocked off CU, 76-50, in the first round of the Big 12 Championship.
A Closer Look At Colorado
? Colorado is 10-10 overall and 2-6 in the Big 12 after falling at Kansas, 65-54, on Wednesday night. The Buffs' league wins have come at Missouri (61-56) and at home in a buzzer beater over Nebraska (75-73).
? Colorado went 8-4 in the non-conference slate, but opened Big 12 play going 0-4, with all four losses coming at the hands of ranked teams. The Buffaloes have won two out of their last four Big 12 contests.
? Colorado is averaging a Big 12 low 62.2 points per game and is allowing opponents a league high 63.3 points per contest. The Buffs, however, are only allowing opponents to shoot 28.7 percent from beyond the arc. CU has hit 114 three-pointers this season (which ranks third in the Big 12) at a 32.9 percent clip.
? CU sophomore Brittany Spears ranks third in Big 12 scoring this season with 17.8 points per game. She has eight games of 20-plus points, three of which have come in the last five games, and has five double-doubles this season.
? Kara Richards and Bianca Smith have both averaged more than 10 points per game this season. Richards is posting 12.3 points per game and leads the team on the glass with 6.9 rebounds. Smith is averaging 10.8 ppg and leads the squad with 53 treys.
? Colorado is without the services of junior guard Whitney Houston who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee on Sept. 24 during team individual workouts. She will have two years of eligibility remaining following this redshirt season.
? Kathy McConnell-Miller is in her fourth season at Colorado where she has compiled a 51-63 record. She is 142-151 in her head coaching career. She has gone from a nine-win season her first year at CU, to a 19-15 record last season. In 2007-08, she guided the Buffs to their first winning season and their first postseason berth since the 2003-04 campaign.
Making the Connection
Iowa State senior Amanda Nisleit will face a familiar foe Saturday when she takes on Colorado's Hannah Skildum. The two played in the Suburban East Conference in Minnesota high school basketball. Nisleit played for Woodbury High, while Skildum suited up for Mounds View High School in Arden Hills, Minn.
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
Senior Heather Ezell hit seven three-pointers and everything else went right for the Iowa State women's basketball team as it thumped No. 10/4 Texas A&M 67-50 Wednesday. It was the Cyclones' first win over a team ranked in the Associated Press Top 10 since knocking off No. 2 Texas Tech on Jan. 14, 2004. Ezell finished with 25 points, while sophomore Kelsey Bolte poured in 17 points and was 7-of-14 from the field. She led ISU with seven rebounds. Amanda Nisleit also finished in double figures for the Cyclones with 10 points. Denae Stuckey turned in six rebounds and a career-high five assists. Iowa State shot 39.3 percent from the field, 45.5 percent from three-point range (10-22) and outrebounded Texas A&M 43-29. Texas A&M's 50 points were a season low. The Aggies shot 39.2 percent from the field and went 3-for-7 from outside the arc. Texas A&M compiled just five steals after entering the game averaging 12.4 per contest. Iowa State outscored the Aggies, 12-7 on points off turnovers and 18-9 on second-chance points.
The Votes Are In
With a home win over No. 14/12 Kansas State, Iowa State moved up one spot in the Associated Press Top 25, to rank 21st this week. ISU is one of six Big 12 teams to rank in the AP Top 25. The Cyclones have ranked as high as No. 20 in the AP Poll this season. Iowa State remained at No. 23 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 (1,195) was the first to reach the mark in the win over Drake. Nicky Wieben (1,068) joined the club against IPFW. Alison Lacey (953) 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.
Meeting Their Match
Teams ranked in the Top 25 have met their match in Iowa State this season. The Cyclones are 4-3 against ranked teams this campaign, with all four wins coming at Hilton Coliseum. ISU's win over No. 10/4 Texas A&M on Wednesday 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 top 10. In the last week, the Cyclones have downed a pair of Top 15 squads in Kansas State and Texas A&M. It is the first time ISU has defeated teams ranked in the AP Top 25 in back-to-back games since the 2000-01 season.
At the Line
Iowa State is shooting 72 percent from the free throw line this season, which ranks second in the Big 12 this season. In the last three games combined, the Cyclones have shot 80.4 percent (45-56) from the charity stripe after struggling mightily in the previous three games combined where they shot 54.7 percent (29-53). ISU hit 29-of-36 free throw attempts against Kansas State. It was the most free throws and attempts since going 33-for-46 against Kansas in 2006-07.
Getting the Stop
Iowa State's defense has been solid all season, holding opponents to 54 points per game. The Cyclones have held 17 opponents under 60 points, going 16-1 in those games. The only exception was a loss at Kansas State despite holding the Wildcats to 59 points. Iowa State has held Big 12 opponents in six of its first seven games under the 60-point mark this season. 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.
The Magic Number
Iowa State is 69-11 (.863) 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 9.7 points per game more at home than on the road (69.5-59.8). The ISU defense is also giving up 11.7 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 16.8 free throws made per game at home and just 8.2 on the road. ISU's opponents are posting 14.3 free throw makes per game in their home gyms, while hitting just 7.1 per game at Hilton Coliseum.
Road Warrior
While the Cyclones are playing better at home than on the road as a team, Kelsey Bolte has been better in opponents' gyms this season. Bolte is shooting 54.7 percent from the field on the road (40.2 percent at home) and is shooting 55.2 percent from three-point range away from Hilton (29.2 percent at home). She has posted 13.7 points per game in road contests, while turning in 8.9 at home.
Nationally Speaking
(As of Feb. 1) Iowa State ranks in the top 35 of eight NCAA statistical categories. The Cyclones rank 10th nationally with their 7.8 three-pointers per game, but that is not all they are doing well. ISU also ranks in the top 35 in: rebounding margin (12), scoring defense (18), personal fouls per game (20), turnovers per game (24), won-lost margin (29), assist-to-turnover ratio (31), and scoring margin (32). Heather Ezell ranks 21st with 2.7 three-pointers per game and 48th with her 40 three-point percent shooting. Alison Lacey ranks 48th 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 179. 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 two 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 12th in Iowa State career scoring with 1,195 points. She is six points shy of 11th place (Jolene Leseman, 1,201). She is 89 points short of breaking into the top 10. She broke the Iowa State career three-point attempt record on Jan. 24 (756) and ranks third with 260 three-point makes in her career. She surpassed Megan Ronhovde (241) for third place against Baylor and needs 14 more to tie Stacy Frese for second place. Ezell's 172 career steals rank fifth in ISU school history and she needs just eight more to move into fourth place.
On the Glass
Iowa State has been a stout rebounding team this season, averaging 40.4 rebounds per contest, its most since averaging 40.6 in 2005-06. The Cyclones have grabbed 301 rebounds off the offensive glass this season, which makes up 35.5 percent of their rebounding. Three players have posted 100 or more boards this season and one more has 99.
Depth on Display
While forced to a short bench last season due to injuries, the Cyclones have had a wealth of depth in 2008-09. No single ISU player has averaged more than 30 minutes per game. Nine players have averaged 10 minutes or more per contest and 11 of ISU's 15 players have seen action in at least half of the Cyclones' games this season.
Raining Threes
Iowa State's 18 three-pointers against Detroit tied the Iowa State single-game record previously set against Missouri Feb. 19, 2000. ISU's 48 three-point attempts vs. the Titans broke the single-game school record. The previous record was 44 against Liberty set on Dec. 9, 2000. Heather Ezell contributed eight of those three-pointers, but that mark was two shy of her career high. She has hit seven or more three-pointers in a single game six times in her career, including seven more against No. 10/4 Texas A&M.
Iowa State has hit 10 or more treys in eight games this season and Ezell has hit three or more treys in 13 of Iowa State's 21 games this season.
Turning Up the Heat
Iowa State is forcing opponents into 16.5 turnovers per game this season, which is the most since ISU opponents averaged 18.3 per game in 1994-95. The Cyclones forced opponents into an average of 13.4 turnovers per game last season in comparison. Minnesota committed 26 turnovers and ISU picked off 14 steals against the Gophers. The Cyclones trumped both of the those numbers as they forced Niagara into 30 turnovers (the most opponent turnovers since forcing 30 against Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Dec. 17, 1995) and picked off 18 steals (the most since recording 20 vs. UMKC on Nov. 18, 1997). ISU did it again against Vanderbilt, forcing 27 miscues by the Commodores. Iowa State earned 15 steals and forced 22 turnovers at Nebraska.
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