Bolte, Mansfield form dynamic duo for scoring
Photo: Bryan Langfeldt/Iowa State Daily
Kelsey Bolte goes on the offensive against Texas A&M on Saturday, Jan. 22 at Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones lost 51-60 in what was a close battle the entire match.
January 24, 2011
In Iowa State’s last three games, senior guard Kelsey Bolte and junior guard Lauren Mansfield have been on a tear.
In the Cyclones’ games since Jan. 11, the back-court duo has accounted for at least half of the team’s points.
It has been four games since more than two starters reached double figures, and Iowa State has fallen to No. 23 in the polls following back-to-back losses to Colorado on the road and No. 5 Texas A&M at home. Bolte and Mansfield combined for 38 of the team’s 51 points in the loss.
If this team is going to have success down the road in the Big 12, they have emphasized that they are going to need more scoring from other people.
“I think we need to develop some more consistent scoring,” Mansfield said. “We also need to keep getting [Kelsey Bolte] the ball.”
With the ball in her hand, Bolte has done nothing but shine, giving the team a chance to win. She is averaging 17.3 points and five rebounds per game this season.
She is particularly deadly from behind the arc. Bolte is shooting 47 percent from three point range, good for a No. 4 national ranking and ninth in the nation in three-pointers made per game.
“Her numbers are ridiculous,” said coach Bill Fennelly. “Especially because she’s doing it in the Big 12 with little or no help. She’s taking some really hard shots that she knows she needs to take.”
With the Cyclones heading into a rematch with Nebraska on Wednesday in Lincoln, Neb., Fennelly feels that they may find it increasingly tough for her to continue this streak.
Putting up the numbers she has, teams are starting to key on her which has forced Fennelly to work harder to find ways to get her the ball. In the first matchup against Nebraska, she recorded 22 points and five rebounds in the 64-43 victory.
“Our playbook is getting thicker and thicker,” Fennelly said. “Every time it gets thicker, her name is involved somehow.”
Mansfield is averaging nine points and six assists per game, while sophomore center Anna Prins has just three games this season where she has scored in double figures.
Fennelly feels that the point production from other areas is going to come from the team working harder. Bolte also showed a glimpse of what the team needs to work on in the loss to Texas A&M, by going 9-10 from the free-throw line.
“We need to be able to put together games where we can find scoring from more people instead of just one or two,” Mansfield said.