BERKELEY, Calif. — As ISU players filtered in and out of the Hilton Coliseum locker room this season, they found a simple white piece of paper hung as a constant reminder in hope of sparking a little extra motivation.

Printed on that piece of paper was a box score from Nov. 29 that reads: Stanford 83, Iowa State 45.

“We see that box score every day,” said senior Heather Ezell. “We want it to remind us of that game so we can make sure it never happens again.”

What began as a tropical Thanksgiving getaway to Honolulu was spoiled that night by the Cardinal, which handed the Cyclones a beatdown in their worst loss of the season. Iowa State gave up a season-high and scored a season-low in points during that matchup.

Nobody wants to continue dwelling over the disappointing loss, but coach Bill Fennelly likes to have his players remember what can happen when the team doesn’t compete very well.

“They embarrassed us,” Fennelly said. “The box score is not to remind us of the negative, but to remind us of what can happen when you’re not at your best. And if you want to be at your best, you have to understand that.”

ISU starters shot just 4-for-25 (16 percent), scoring 10 points and hitting no three-pointers in the game while the team shot 29.6 percent as a whole. It was their second-worst shooting performance on the season.

Alison Lacey went scoreless for the only time this season, and leading-scorer Heather Ezell only put a up two points in the scoring column.

Before the Cyclones could even settle in and completely realize what had happened, the Cardinal had already hit five three-pointers and jumped out to a quick 19-5 lead, then stretched that lead to 30-9 and entered the locker room with a 37-15 advantage.

“If it was a fight, they would have stopped it early, real early,” Fennelly said. “I hope we’re a lot better team now, and certainly I think we are, but that game I think gave our team a reference of what it takes to play the game at the highest level.”

In order to compete with Stanford, the game plan starts with center Jayne Appel. The 6-foot-4-inch junior leads the Cardinal in both points, with 15.0 per game, and rebounds, with 9.1 per game, and is one of the nation’s most efficient players, ranking seventh in the country with a 60.3 field-goal percentage.

She also is the driving force behind a Stanford team that is tops in the nation in rebound margin at 13.2, as well as leading them to the nation’s second-best team field-goal percentage.

Their vertically gifted lineup has all starters standing at least six feet or taller, posing problems for an ISU team that has struggled to defend powerful post players all season.

“They’re big. They’re huge,” said junior Alison Lacey. “Everyone can score, and they’re going to be tough to match up against.”

Every one of Stanford’s starting five averages double figures in scoring for a team that ranks second in the nation in scoring margin, assists per game, and assist to turnover ratio. The only team holding them back from the number one spot in all categories is undefeated No. 1 Connecticut. While their dominance in the paint is the driving force behind their offense, it’s never a surprise to see the Cardinal to step behind the arc and knock down a three.

“They can hurt you inside and outside, and I don’t think Stanford’s ever got enough credit for the way they defend,” Fennelly said. “They are smart, long, have a great ability to score the ball, and their statistics are ridiculous. Whatever number you look at, they just jump off the page almost to the point where it’s not feasible you could have those kinds of numbers.”

A recent hot streak has seen Stanford win 19 straight, as it hasn’t chalked up an ‘L’ since mid-January. That loss, a 57-54 downfall to California, occurred at the Haas Pavilion, the same arena where Monday night’s game will take place.

Only this time, the majority of the Cal-Berkeley fans will be cheering on their Pac 10 rivals in an arena often reserved for an unfriendly attitude towards the cardinal and white.

In addition, the Stanford campus sits just a little over an hour down the road in Palo Alto, creating another sizeable advantage in what is all but a home game for the Cardinal.

“It was loud in there,” said Stanford coach Tara Van Derveer of the crowd during her team’s 84-66 victory over Ohio State on Saturday. “I remember being here and not liking how loud it was back in January, but loving how loud it was last night.”

Stanford is shooting for its second consecutive trip to the Final Four on Monday night while Iowa State plays for its first appearance in school history. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. on ESPN.