Only two teams in the Big 12 have their entire rosters back from last year. Those teams, Iowa State and Missouri, will go head-to-head Wednesday night after both teams stumbled out of the blocks with identical 1-2 records in the conference.

“When you play a team in your own division and you play them for the first time at home, the last thing you want is to lose at home knowing you have to go back there,” said coach Bill Fennelly.

The last time Iowa State lost to Missouri at home was in 2003, and since then the Cyclones have won six of the last ten match-ups.

“We’ve had games with Missouri that were very low scoring. We’ve had games with Missouri that were very high scoring,” Fennelly said. “It’s been very, very different because our styles are very different.”

After solidly beating the Tigers at home last year, the Cyclones traveled to Missouri, where they slid past with just a four-point win.

“It’s certainly a game that our players have to understand is very important,” Fennelly said.

Having played three ranked teams in a row, the Cyclones will have to transition for a much quicker game against the Tigers.

“Their mood today [Monday] in practice is probably a little better than ours,” Fennelly said. “They’re coming off a win, a really good win for them, it was a close win.”

After two tough road games, the Cyclones get a chance to take on Missouri at home for the first time this season.

“It’s going to be a good thing that we get to come home and play a game at home,” said sophomore Kelsey Bolte. “I think today we’re just going to really get after it at practice.”

The Cyclones head into the game undefeated at home this season, while the Tigers enter the contest coming off a one-point victory over Nebraska.

“The biggest thing is the pace will be quicker, possessions will be greater,” Fennelly said. “We are going to have to be a better one-on-one defensive team.”

Bolte also commented on what the Cyclones plan to focus on in preparation for the Tigers.

“We’re just going to work on all the little things, defensive mistakes we may have made, just stepping up and hitting some big free throws when we need to,” Bolte said.

Fennelly talked about the play of Missouri senior guard Alyssa Hollins, junior forward Jessra Johnson, and sophomore Shakara Jones and the benefits the Tigers have when those three players are on the court.

“They have three people that can get 20 points,” Fennelly said. “There is not many people in our league that can do that.”

Hollins leads the Tigers in points with 219, averaging 13.7 per game. Johnson also averages 13.7 points per game and 6.9 rebounds. Jones puts up 10.9 points per game of her own. In the Tigers’ ten wins last season, Hollins, Johnson and Jones combined for over 50 points in six of them. In the other four wins, the three combined for no less than 38 points total.