AMES — When the Iowa State women (12-4, 3-2 Big 12) played the TCU Horned Frogs (11-5, 3-2 Big 12) two weeks ago, they went into the halftime break with a 44-21 lead. That lead eventually grew to 24-points with just under 17-minutes to play in the game.
Then, something changed. The Cyclones started to turn over the ball against the Horned Frogs’ pressure defense. TCU hit shots, making seven of nine 3-pointers in the second half. Iowa State senior guard Nikki Moody fouled out with six minutes to play while only seeing 15 minutes the entire night. The Horned Frogs came all the way back and won 86-84 on a layup by Chelsea Prince with two seconds left in the game.
“Nikki only played 15 minutes in the game, so when you’re point guard’s out against pressure defense that hurts,” said Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly. “Number two, the game got ridiculously physical and we did not handle it at all, mentally or physically.”
Iowa State turned the ball over 21 times in the game and the Horned Frogs outscored them 32-13 on points off of turnovers. However, Fennelly says that the Cyclones’ biggest problem was on the other side of the ball.
“We didn’t guard anyone in the second half,” Fennelly said. “When you’re scoring it’s easier to press. When you’re not scoring it’s a little harder to press. So everything that could go wrong did go wrong.”
If the Cyclones hope to bounce back when the Horned Frogs come to Hilton Coliseum tonight for a 7 p.m. tip.
Moody’s ability to stay on the floor will be key.
“I have to stay out of foul trouble,” Moody said. “I feel like we just need to be patient breaking the press. I think we panicked last time and everybody was just in uncomfortable spots.”
Junior guard Kidd Blaskowsky will once again be in the starting lineup for injured sophomore guard Jadda Buckley, who is out for an extended period of time with a stress injury in her right foot.
