After an upset over No. 20 Texas and another over No. 11 Oklahoma, the game plan may be coming together for the Cyclone women’s basketball team. But just as quickly as Iowa State (16-3, 4-2 Big 12) topped the Longhorns in overtime and the Sooners at Hilton on Wednesday, the Wildcats of Kansas State could break Iowa State’s fever.

Now ranked in the top 25, the Cyclones have found a way to win the last two games, and confidence may be building, but coach Bill Fennelly and his team realize this is an opportunity for a sneak attack by an unranked opponent.

“There’s a little bit of, ‘you beat Texas, you beat Oklahoma [and] everybody’s patting them on the back telling them how good they are,’” Fennelly said. “The smart players understand that’s a trap situation. [Kansas State] had a week off to get ready for us, so they’ll be ready and we need to be as well.”

Iowa State hits the road to Manhattan, Kan., this weekend to face a Wildcat (10-8, 2-2 Big 12) team that had an entire week to prepare for the Cyclone squad. The tipoff in Manhattan is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday. The Wildcats have struggled in the last three conference games, falling to Oklahoma State, Colorado and Nebraska, but did come up with a win over in-state rival Kansas in its first Big 12 game of the season.

Kansas State is leading the league in scoring defense, at 57 points. Similar to Iowa State, coach Deb Patterson and her Wildcats are always prepared with a game plan to keep opponents from doing what they do best.

“You have to be good at your secondary options, and people have to make plays at the end of the shot clock,” Fennelly said. “There’s a lot of possessions where both teams are forced to use the clock.”

The Bramlage Coliseum may not be a place of bright memories for Iowa State, but then again, the Erwin Center in Austin wasn’t either, until Saturday. Last season’s ISU squad lost by seven in Manhattan, and during the 2007-2008 season the Cyclones suffered an annihilating 31-point loss. Both losses, however, came while Shalee Lehning finished her career first in school history in career assists and second in the Big 12. Lehning led the Wildcat offense with her versatility and consistency, and is now an assistant coach on the Kansas State sidelines.

“I would say the tempo and Ashley Sweat is where we have to start [our focus], and Kansas State is always really prepared to play, they’re hard to score on,” Fennelly said.

The pressure won’t be on in the full court, but the Wildcat defense will more than likely attempt to take away the 3-point shot from Iowa State, forcing the Cyclones to rely on younger post players to make a difference.

If the Cyclones don’t lower their fouls, they could be relying yet again on play from the bench, which was crucial in Iowa State’s recent win over Oklahoma.

Senior Ashley Sweat carries the Wildcat load offensively, leading the attack with an average of 17.6 points per game. Not only is the 6-foot-2 forward a threat down low, but Sweat can hit the three ball and nail her shots from the charity stripe.

“[She’s] someone that has her hands on the ball a lot,” Fennelly said. “She’s a post player that can go away from the basket.”

Sweat leads Kansas State from beyond the arc and ranks second in the Big 12 in free-throw percentage, something players of her position tend to struggle with.

“You’ve got to have someone who can defend her, and defend her in a manner that is around the basket and away from the basket,” Fennelly said. “We don’t have many players with that versatility at any level, and certainly she, I think, is a unique defensive challenge for people to play her.”

While the ISU defense is focusing on controlling the Wildcat leader, the Cyclones will also try to keep fouls to a minimum.

“We’ve got to keep people off the free-throw line. Those numbers are becoming increasingly worrisome to me, and I hate fouling,” Fennelly said. “That is a huge Achilles’ heel for our team right now that’s got to be corrected.”

Having foul trouble would be damaging to Iowa State on Saturday, as the Wildcats lead the league in free-throw percentage as a team.

“I think if you look at the way we’ve defended overall it’s been pretty good, but we’re just giving up way too many free-throw opportunities and that’s something we’ve never done here before,” Fennelly said. “And there’s a lot of things that you want to get better, and the challenge for our team really is finding another gear, finding another level, improve to a level where we can find some consistency.”