The Kansas State women’s basketball team seems to have it all. Not only is the Wildcat defense the best in the nation, but the K-State offense has a different style that most teams can’t stop.

Iowa State hosts the No. 12 Wildcats on Saturday at Hilton Coliseum.

With a bye on Wednesday, the Cyclones (15-4, 3-2 Big 12) had some extra time to rest before facing Kansas State (18-1, 5-1) for the second time this season.

“It was huge for us,” said junior Alison Lacey. “It was really nice, that couple extra days off, just to get some sleep back, kind of relax and not think about basketball.”

After losing by just seven points in Manhattan on Jan. 17, the Cyclones are rested and ready to take on the top-25 team again.

“You have to do all the grind-em-out things that most teams don’t like to do. They make you do it to win,” said head coach Bill Fennelly.

With the best defense in the country, Kansas State holds opponents to 49.3 points per game, and Big 12 opponents to 48.8 points per game.

“It’s hard to get easy things, you just kind of take whatever they give you and it might not be the best option, but if it’s something that you can score off then you have to take advantage of it,” said senior Heather Ezell.

Although most teams in the Big 12 center an offense on screens, movement and ball reversal, Kansas State centers its offense on what Shalee Lehning wants to do with it.

Lehning never seems to let go of the ball, unless she is dishing it to a Wildcat teammate for a basket.

“She doesn’t pick up the ball at all. She’s always dribbling it, passing it.” Lacey said. “You never know what she is going to do.”

Lehning averages 11.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. The senior guard leads the nation in assists per game, averaging 8.6.

“When you lead the nation in assists you have your hands on the ball a lot. You’re throwing it to people who can finish, and you’re creating things,” Fennelly said.

Lehning posted a game-high 22 points against the Cyclones previously in the season.

“She can do it all. She’s just one of those players that you have to be careful [with] when you guard. She can definitely take advantage of anything you give her,” Ezell said.

The Cyclones sent Lehning to the charity stripe nine times at Kansas State, a mistake considering Lehning drained seven of the nine.

Fennelly said how important it will be to keep her off the free-throw line and not allow easy layups.

Senior Wildcat Marlies Gipson notched a double-double in points and rebounds against the Cyclones in Manhattan. Gipson, the third player in the nation in blocks per game, averages 3.7 denials.

“The thing that she does more than most women’s players is she blocks shots off of her own man. You don’t see that in women’s games very often,” Fennelly said.

Not only is Gipson a phenomenal blocker, but the intimidation alone of being blocked by the 6-foot Wildcat serves as another threat the Kansas State defense uses.

“Her timing is great, her body control is great, she’s a good jumper, a quick jumper,” Fennelly said.

Kansas State shot 47.6 percent from the field last time against Iowa State. The Wildcats are fourth in the nation in field goal percentage.

Iowa State couldn’t find the bottom of the net from the three-point line against the Wildcats in the last matchup, hitting only 4-of-17 attempts.

The second matchup between the two top-25 teams is sure to be low-scoring due to the pace at which the Wildcats play. An advantage of even six to eight points may seem huge in Saturday’s matchup.

“They’re just a very smart basketball team. They guard you every way that they’re supposed to,” Ezell said.

Even with only 10 turnovers against K-State earlier this season, the Cyclones still suffered because of Kansas State’s limiting the number of possessions per game.

“The way they defend, every time you give the ball up you get real nervous, and then when they score you feel even more pressured because you’re not going to have the ball that many times,” Fennelly said.