Iowa State has one more test before the break in the schedule for finals. The Cyclones (5-2) are set to take on Mississippi Valley State on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum.

Iowa State is coming off a victory over rival Iowa in which they used a strong second half to seal the victory. Junior forward Chelsea Poppens went down with a knee injury late in the game, but is expected to be fine.

Even if Poppens plays against MVS, it adds to the injury woes for the Cyclones in the post.

“It definitely changes your mindset,” junior forward Jessica Schroll said. “I might have to play the four a little bit more and sometimes even the five. I’m going to have to key in on those positions at practice a little bit more, as well as still be able to memorize what I have to do for the guard position as well.”

With lack of depth at the post due to health, Iowa State is prepared to go with a smaller lineup if the situation calls for it. The Cyclones practice for all types of situations in practice so they can be prepared.

Senior shooting guard Lauren Mansfield doesn’t feel like injuries should effect the team too much.

“We practice with four guards sometimes,” Mansfield said. “Coach Fenn is on top of that already. We always play with different people. We play with three post and then with one post. We’re always changing things up and running the offense accordingly.

With the Cyclones struggling in the first half against Iowa, the team is going to focus on their offense in preparation for the MVS game. The Cyclones were slow on offense during the first half, but pushed the temp in the second.

Iowa State was more comfortable in the second half, which allowed the offense to flow easier.

“I don’t know if that was part of the game plan,” Schroll said.”It was a matter of getting all the nerves out. We we’re just really comfortable in the second half and were able to go.”

Mansfield is coming off of her best game of the season against Iowa. She had been shooting 3-21 from three-point range to start the season. She was even held scoreless for the first time in her career in the loss to Michigan.

Against the Hawkeyes, she shot 3-7 from the arc and 6-12 from the field to finish with a team-high 15 points.

“That was was great,” Schroll said. “I was so happy for her. She’s been hitting shots in practice, but they just hadn’t really come to the game yet. That was really great for her.”