The turnaround is quick once Big 12 Conference play starts. Sometimes there is as little as a day or two in between games. 

Coming off a win against No. 21 Texas Tech, there are three days for the ISU women’s basketball team to prepare for a Kansas State team that currently sits fourth in the Big 12 standings. 

“I think the mentality we all have is when one game is over, it’s on to the next,” said ISU coach Bill Fennelly. “That’s the way basketball is. The turnaround is very quick. I was very proud of the way our kids tried to prepare when we were losing. We’ll do the same today.”

The Wildcats (13-5, 4-2 Big 12) have only been defeated by No. 1 Baylor and an Oklahoma team that was recently bounced out of the AP Top 25. 

Senior guard Lauren Mansfield said the team knows the win was a perfect way to get back on track. 

“I certainly hope so,” Mansfield said. “Coach [Fennelly] said to us in the locker room [that] this could be the end of a losing streak or the start of a winning streak, so that’s what we’re trying to do — get some wins built up and some momentum from that game.”

As a leader and a captain of the team, Mansfield said she knows she needs to set an example.

Finally settling in at shooting guard and hitting shots is just how she’s going to get that accomplished. 

“I think with more games under my belt and playing a bit better and hitting some shots, I definitely am getting my confidence up and start feeling more comfortable at that position,” Mansfield said. 

Mansfield, much like the entire team, has the ability to make shots and play good games.

What she said she and the rest of the team have to figure out is how to string those good games together and build momentum in Big 12 play. 

“It’s just kind of frustrating,” Mansfield said about her inconsistency. “You go out there and you play one good game and you hit shots. Then the next day, you have not as good of a shooting day. 

“So it’s kind of frustrating, but you just have to play through it and not think about yourself and try and think about the team and play for the team.”

What Fennelly will have to prepare his team for is veteran-led team and a scoring duo that is as good as any in the conference. Junior guard Brittany Chambers and senior forward Jalana Childs are both top 10 scorers in the Big 12 at 16 and 14.5 points per game. 

“Kansas State is the same they’ve always been,” Fennelly said. “They’re as prepared as any team we ever play. They dictate the tempo of the game. A very experienced team. Someone in the post on Childs and someone at guard in Chambers that can dictate a game.”

As excited as they are about the win against then-No. 17 Texas Tech, Fennelly is making sure his team isn’t dwelling on the win and is moving on to the next game. 

“We told them to certainly enjoy what they did yesterday and celebrate with the fans,” Fennelly said. “At 3 o’clock today, the players move on. A half hour after I talked to you guys yesterday, I was in my office and moving on to the next one.”