1. A Sweet 16 Comeback – March 28

After advancing to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament with a win over Ball State, the Cyclones were set to play the No. 9 seed Michigan State for a chance at the Elite Eight.The frantic 69-68 win over the Spartans sent Iowa State to the Elite Eight for the second time in school history.

With an 8-0 surge in the last 1:10 in the game, the Cyclones overcame the Spartans with a crazy finish. After a banked 3-pointer from Ezell with 50 seconds left and a turnover on the ensuing inbounds play, Lacey drained a 3-pointer to give Iowa State the lead. Michigan State’s last-second possession was a blur as the team missed two shots in the paint, and Iowa State had matched history for a Cyclone team.

Lacey finished with a game-high 29 points for the Cyclones. Nisleit had 17 points and Ezell added 14.

2. A wake up call — Dec. 7

Iowa State’s Cy-Hawk series game against Iowa this season was a wake-up call for the Cyclones. The Hawkeyes handed Iowa State its second loss of the season, the first being to Stanford in the Waikiki Beach Mariott Classic tournament. Iowa State sent Iowa to the line 24 times, uncharacteristic of the Cyclones, and the Hawkeyes converted 20 of them into points. Alison Lacey led the Cyclones with 14 points and senior Heather Ezell added a dozen of her own. After the loss, the Cyclones bounced back and won eight straight games.

3. The first upset — Jan. 31

The Kansas State game at Hilton Coliseum was the first of two big upsets for the Cyclones this season. Iowa State held Shalee Lehning, who led the nation in assists with 8.42 apg, to just four on the night.

Ezell carried the weight for the Cyclones with 19 points, while senior Nicky Wieben added 13 in the post. The game was significant for the Cyclones not only because of their defensive effort to shut down one of the best offensive teams in the nation, but also because of who was honored at halftime. During the break, Iowa State honored the 1998-1999 Elite Eight women’s basketball team, the first team ever to advance to the Elite Eight in Cyclone history. Fennelly had his players stay on the bench and watch the ceremony instead of immediately entering the locker room at halftime.

“Sometimes there are certain things not more important than the game, but just as important. Our players need to understand what those people have done for them, and what they’ve done for our school. I said ‘10 years from now there is going to be another reunion, what are they going to think about you?’” Fennelly said after the game.

Having the players stay to watch the presentation must have been a good idea, considering that this team matched what the ’98-’99 team did in post-season play.

4. Big 12 win — March 13

After Texas handed Iowa State its first and only home loss of the season, the Cyclones came back with revenge in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship tournament, defeating the Longhorns 59-55 to advance to the semifinals.

Lacey had a season-high 25 points, including five baskets from three-point land.

Bolte posted 12 points and Wieben added 10. The win put the Cyclones into the semifinals for the third consecutive year.

“Certainly a very proud moment for our team, for our program,” Fennelly said after the game. “We beat a really good team, and like we’ve done all year, it probably wasn’t the prettiest thing, but an effort that was very indicative of what we’ve done all season.”

5. For real — Feb. 4

Then-No. 21 Iowa State shifted from playing against a slow Wildcats’ offense to the run-and-gun offense on which coach Gary Blair taught his No. 4 Texas A&M team to rely. The win marked one of the biggest upsets in the Cyclones’ season and demonstrated just how well the Cyclone defense could perform. A&M was held to just 50 points, its lowest point total all season, and more than 17 points under the team average.

Iowa State broke down the Aggie offense by allowing just eight fast-break points to a team who relied on fast breaks for scoring opportunities. Defensively, the Cyclones controlled the boards, holding A&M to six offensive rebounds in the game. The win marked the second consecutive upset over ranked teams for the Cyclones.