Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus UCF on January 31, 2026 , Win , 65, to, 52
Final
Women's Basketball
65
UCF
52
Iowa State University Athletics
Cyclones Turn To Defense To Turn Around Season
03.01.2012 | Women's Basketball
By Zach Gourley, Iowa State Athletics Communications
AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State women's basketball team has relied on its defense this season to recover from a slow start in conference play, to win nine of its last 12 games and climb into a fourth place tie in the Big 12 standings. The Cyclones (18-10, 9-8 Big 12 Conference) are currently ranked third in the league in scoring defense, giving up just 55.7 points per game.
Most recently, the Cyclones shut down the Kansas State Wildcat attack on Wednesday in Hilton Coliseum, holding them to 33 points on just 29 percent shooting from the field. The 33 points scored by the Wildcats is the lowest point total ever given up by the Cyclones in Big 12 play.
"Defense has allowed us to have any kind of success, as we do not have much consistency on offense," Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly said. "All of our kids have bought into the team defensive concept that we preach. Forcing turnovers and blocking shots is not what we try to do. We want to be sound in our fundamentals and be disciplined in our approach."
Perimeter defense has been integral to the Cyclones success this year, and senior guard Chassidy Cole has been called upon to be the team's defensive stopper. Cole has worked her way into the starting lineup by following through on one of Fennelly's key defensive principles.
"We try to not let the best kid on the other team beat us," Fennelly said. "(Cole) has become our perimeter defensive stopper."
Cyclone opponents this year have found out just how difficult it can be to score when Cole is chasing them all over the floor. In games against the Cyclones, the top-five scorers among guards in the Big 12 conference (Chassidy Fussell of Texas, Oklahoma's Aaryn Ellenberg, Baylor's Odyssey Sims, Kansas State's Brittany Chambers and Texas A&M's Tyra White) are, as a group, averaging over four points below their season averages. Those same five also average more than three less shot attempts per game when facing the Cyclone defense.
"It's very difficult to try to guard some of the best players in the conference, but it makes me feel good, and with the help of my teammates, sometimes I get it done," Cole said. "We are a solid defensive team, we're not trying to hound the other team or make them uncomfortable, we just keep them in front of us, play tough defense, box out and do the little things. Statistically, I think we are one of the best defenses (in the Big 12)."
Rebounding has also been crucial to the Cyclone defensive effort, as they rarely allow second chance points. Iowa State leads the conference in both defensive rebounds per game at 33.3, and defensive rebounding percentage, grabbing 73.1 percent of the possible rebounds on the defensive end of the court.
Cyclone forward Chelsea Poppens, who Fennelly calls "the anchor of our defense" leads the league in rebounds, with 11.1 per game.
The Cyclones are also excelling at another key to Fennelly's defensive philosophy, which is to not foul, thus limiting the opposition's points at the free throw line. The Cyclones have given up the second-least free throw attempts of any team in Big 12 play, allowing opponents to get to the line just 14 times a game.
Players Mentioned
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