A consistently inconsistent lineup, a center still working to get her stride back and a struggling offense was what the Iowa State women’s basketball entered Boulder, Colo. with Saturday. What the Cyclones took away was their first Big 12 win of the season and an individual performance carved into the recordbooks.

As Iowa State faces conference opponent Kansas on Wednesday night at Hilton Coliseum, the team will begin to see just how much of a turning point the victory over the Buffaloes may have been.

“You always look back at things in your life or during a season that wasn’t a defining moment, but helped define a moment and I think that’s hopefully what happened with the game at Colorado,” said coach Bill Fennelly. “To grind out a win in this league at any point is good.”

A conference with six teams in the top 25 and some of the most physical squads, also has some of the strongest go-to players in the nation.

For Baylor, it’s Brittney Griner; Nebraska has Kelsey Griffin and Oklahoma State values Andrea Riley. For Iowa State, that player is Alison Lacey.

Lacey has been proving herself throughout the season leading the Cyclones numerous times in scoring, with her most recent performance in the win over Colorado.

“I just remember thinking, ‘We can’t lose this game.’ There’s no way that I was going to let this team lose so I kind of feel like it was my responsibility to have the ball in my hands and make things happen and it worked out,” Lacey said.

The six-foot point guard constructed a dominating performance over Colorado last Saturday, including a stretch where she scored 18 points in a row. Lacey finished with a season-high 32 points and zero turnovers.

“Obviously [Lacey] was really hot throughout the whole game, she did a really good job of being a senior leader on the team. It was really fun to watch her so I was enjoying it,” said freshman center Anna Prins.

The Australian import snatched eight rebounds, tossed in four assists and committed zero turnovers in her 30 minutes of play.

“It wasn’t just scoring 18 points in a row. It was how she did exactly what her team needed her to do exactly when it needed to be done,” Fennelly said. “There’s not a lot of players that have that ability or that willingness to stick your nose out there and take those shots.”

Much like many other teams in the Big 12, the Jayhawks rely on a go-to player as well. Senior guard Danielle McCray, averaging 20.9 points per game is that player.

“We’re going to try our best to contain [McCray],” Lacey said. “She can do everything, she can shoot the three, she can post you up if you’re smaller, she’s going to drive, she can kick it I don’t think there’s an aspect of her game she doesn’t have.”

Chosen as the Big 12’s Preseason Player of the Year, McCray finished the season off leading Kansas to four straight wins in the 2009 Women’s National Invitation Tournament. The Jayhawks finished as one of the hottest teams in the nation last season, falling in the WNIT championship game by just four points.

“She’s preseason player of the year in our league for a reason and when you’re preseason player of the year in the Big 12 you’re pretty damn good,” Fennelly said. “Hopefully we’ll defend her enough to have a chance to win.”

For teams in the conference with go-to players it isn’t always about how well the standout is performing, but how the teammates around her are contributing. Junior center Krysten Boogaard and sophomore forward Aishah Sutherland are each averaging just over 11 points per game for Kansas. Senior guard Sade Morris, however, is posting just nine points after she finishing last season with an average of just under 13 points per contest.

While Morris hasn’t been performing to the standard she was last year, junior guard Kelsey Bolte had struggled previously on the offensive end for the Cyclones. But on Saturday it seemed as though Bolte got her groove back, picking up 15 points (6-for-14) and five rebounds.

“It’s always good to see teammates make shots, and it’s amazing what can happen when shots go in the basket,” Lacey said. “Everyone kind of relaxes a little bit and everyone’s been through it and I feel like the less people talk about it and make a big emphasis with her she’s not thinking about it as much and she’s gonna relax.”

Bolte did more than just stand behind the arc against Colorado, and took the ball to the basket in an attempt to drive and score. For all of the Cyclones, getting to the free throw line has been a challenge this season, something Fennelly wants his players to focus on against the Jayhawks.

“For us it’s just being consistent, we need to get the ball inside out, we need to get to the free throw line more than we have been and when we have open shots we need to be able to hit them and we haven’t been doing that,” Lacey said.

Defensively Kansas may have a similar strategy to what Nebraska did, attempting to limit Cyclone buckets from beyond the arc, making it crucial for Iowa State to penetrate and make baskets on the inside. Another struggle for the Cyclones thus far has been finishing inside, not just from post players, but from all positions missing layups has been regular.

“It’s everyone. When you get the ball around the basket, we have to make more shots,” Fennelly said.

Tipoff for the conference contest is set for 7 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum.