DAYTON, Ohio — Entering Sunday’s Sweet 16 game, it had been 74 straight contests since Connecticut had lost. Iowa State entered Sunday’s game hopeful of breaking that streak, but instead lost 74–36 and became win number 75 for the Huskies.

“Connecticut is certainly as good as advertised,” said coach Bill Fennelly. “I don’t think I’ve had a whipping like that since I was a little kid and broke something of my mom’s.”

Perhaps the result of Sunday’s game came as no real surprise to most followers of women‘s basketball as the Huskies featured a lineup with the 2009 Naismith National Player of the Year and multiple members of the All-Big East team.

But for the Cyclones, the star power of Connecticut did not intimidate them nor force them to play as badly as they did.

It was just simply not their day.

Shots that normally would fall for the Cyclones were not falling. The Cyclones were out-rebounded 47–32 after going the entire season with a plus-8.7 rebounding margin.

And Iowa State — a team that was among the Big 12’s leaders in fewest turnovers — allowed 18 turnovers, including five by senior point guard Alison Lacey.

Despite all these factors that led to the loss, the Cyclones still maintained their never quit attitude they played with all season.

“All we could do was compete,” Lacey said. “We weren’t scared, we were excited to see how we would match up against them. It’s exciting to play a team like that; they are the best team we’ve ever seen.”

With all the bad luck Iowa State was running into, Connecticut’s luck kept improving.

The Huskies beat the Cyclones in every statistical category, including shooting 11-of-26 from beyond the arc. Maya Moore was 5-of-7 on 3-pointers, and freshman guard Kelly Faris hit all four of her attempts for the Huskies.

Faris’ big day was what the Huskies had been hoping for, as she struggled from 3-point territory most of the season, shooting just .232.

“My shots are finally falling. It took a little while,” Faris said. “Coach [Geno Auriemma] tells us all the time if we get open, don’t hesitate to shoot it. Right now my shots are falling, so I’m going to keep shooting, and if it’s not falling, I’m going to do something else to get someone else involved.”

Sunday’s loss was not how the Cyclones had hoped to end the season. It was not their best performance of the year, but the Cyclones will not allow the way they played this game to reflect their accomplishments this season.

“I feel bad for our players that our season didn’t end with a little better overall performance, but overall, what I think we can take away from this is an amazing year,” Fennelly said. “I’m very proud of our seniors, I’m very proud of our team, and unfortunately we didn’t get the kind of performance today that gave us a chance to beat arguably the best team I’ve ever seen.”

For the five seniors on the Cyclones’ roster, it marked the end of their historic careers at Iowa State.

Lacey and fellow seniors Denae Stuckey, Anna Florzak, Shellie Mosman and Genesis Lightbourne will all leave Iowa State with 99 victories in their careers, good for the third-most in school history.

“I’m just thankful to be able to play for a team like Iowa State,” Stuckey said. “I got a lot out of it, and it’s probably one of the best things that has happened to me in my life.”

Lacey will leave as the school’s first and only player to score at least 1,500 points, have 500 rebounds and dish out 500 assists. Her career is now over, but she will never forget her time as a member of the ISU women’s basketball team.

“This is the best thing that has ever happened to me,” Lacey said. “To move here [from Australia] has changed my life and the person I am. It’s been the best experience of my life.”