With starting center Anna Prins and starting guard Kelsey Bolte sidelined for Sunday’s game, the ISU women’s basketball team sent an unorthodox starting lineup to the floor.

The Cyclones (5–1) responded with a dominant performance from beyond the arc, knocking down a season-high 17 shots from long range in an 80–64 victory over Arkansas – Pine Bluff. The Golden Lions outscored Iowa State in the paint by a 30–18 margin.

However, their performance from long distance was augmented by default due to the continuous poor play from the post position down on the blocks.

“There’s no excuse for some of the things that we’re doing,” coach Bill Fennelly said. “Everyone says we shoot too many threes, but right now we have a better chance with chucking up a three than we do throwing it inside. It’s not the way we want to play, but we don’t really have a choice.”

The Cyclones had the 6-feet-7-inch freshman Prins in street clothes due to a viral infection, and also held out Bolte with caution, as she has been battling Achilles’ tendon problems for the past few weeks.

The starting lineup had an average size of just 5-feet-10-inches, and included senior Shellie Mosman and sophomore Chassidy Cole, who each earned their first career starts for the Cyclones.

“We had 10 players available, and we made the decision of who were the people that truly want to wear an Iowa State uniform the way it should be worn,” Fennelly said.

Mosman took advantage of her start by turning in a career performance, hitting three treys on her way to 14 points, surpassing the previous career-best of nine she scored against Wisconsin – Milwaukee in 2006.

“That was fun. Shellie has worked very hard for us for a long time,” Fennelly said. “The opportunity was given to her, she earned it, and she has a day that she’ll remember for a long, long time.”

Senior Alison Lacey led the way with six 3-pointers, boosting her to a game-high 27 points to go along with six rebounds and eight assists.

With so many new players in place around her this season, Lacey has continued to be the staple of the ISU offense, averaging 16.0 points and 8.5 assists per game.

“I thought I’d have to step up and be a little more aggressive,” Lacey said. “I knew it was the first time starting for [Cole] and [Mosman], and that people were going to get a lot more minutes than they were used to. I had to be the calm when everyone else was maybe a bit anxious or nervous.”

Five Cyclones — Lacey, Mosman, Whitney Williams, Denae Stuckey and Amanda Zimmerman — all scored season highs, and Iowa State’s 17 3-pointers were just one shy of the school record.

The team will be a part of the next chapter of the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk series, which hits full swing this week. The Cyclones will play host to Iowa at 7 p.m. Thursday at Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones have won three of their last four against their in-state rivals.