AMES — After losing four straight games, three in single digits, Iowa State will look to get back on track this Sunday in Hilton against the North Carolina Central Eagles (noon on Cyclones.tv).
The Cyclones are 3-5 after their recent loss to Iowa and need to finish the non-conference strong if they want a realistic chance at the NCAA Tournament.
Without a legitimate second option behind Bridget Carleton, the Cyclones need a new player to step up each game if they want to start racking up some wins.
Sunday against NC Central should be a good opportunity for this team to fix some of the errors so far this year.
Bill Fennelly didn’t mince words when talking about positives and negatives as of late, pointing to an overachieving defense and struggling offense.
He talked about how every team has a learning curve and while the Cyclones have been able to put themselves in a position to win games, they need to take it one step further and finish out those situations.
How can they improve?
Confidence is a place to start.
“When we weren’t making shots, then no one wanted to shoot,” Fennelly said. “The shot clock runs down, and maybe you don’t get as good of a shot as you needed. It’s never fun to lose and learn, but that’s where we are, and we can’t feel sorry for ourselves.”
That was in reference to the Cyclones abysmal second quarter against Iowa, where they only scored three points overall.
A player that might be able to help fix that, is Adriana Camber.
Camber currently leads the team in total 3-pointers with 18 on the year. Shooting at a 47 percent clip, her teammates are looking to get her more involved from the start.
“I think we just have to get her open looks early and build that confidence right from the beginning,” said Carleton.
Against NC Central, Iowa State needs to be ready for a variety of defenses, with Fennelly saying “they play every defense invented”.
Still, this should be a game in which the offense can hopefully find their rhythm, and the ‘Clones can right the ship with a win at home.
