The ISU women’s basketball team’s early success has come, in part, from the offensive balance it has had night after night.

Coach Bill Fennelly said balance is what has made past Cyclone teams successful.

“That’s so big for us. We don’t have anyone on our team that, every single night, you know, is going to get you 15,18 points,” Fennelly said. “The balance comes, hopefully, within the game and hopefully every game is a little bit different, which makes us hard to prepare for. I think when our teams have played well, that’s what we have done.”

The Cyclones now look to secure a third player in each game to ensure a successful offensive night.

“Every coach will tell you that you need three people that will go in there and get you double digits every single game,” Fennelly said.

Nicky Wieben and Alison Lacey have averaged double digits in points through the first six games, with Kelsey Bolte averaging just under 10 points per game. Wieben leads the team with 10.7 ppg.

“Right now I’m just trying to do anything I can to help the team, whether that be scoring or rebounding,” Wieben said. “I’m just really trying to find that role of what I’m needed for this year.”

Also contributing to the Cyclones’ success this season are Heather Ezell and Ashley Arlen. Each has been one of the top three scorers in several games.

“We have enough people that can score,” Fennelly said. “I think we’re consistently balanced, but we’re not consistently balanced with the same people.”

In five of the first six regular season games, the Cyclones have had three or more players with double digits. The only exception was a loss to Stanford.

“It’s extremely important for us this season, if we can have at least four or five people consistently getting 10 points, then we’re going to be fine,” Lacey said. “Last year we struggled finding people that could consistently score.”

Cyclones wrap up 5-game road swing

Iowa State started off the regular season with a home victory against the University of Missouri-Kansas City, but has since faced five straight road games, including a tournament in Honolulu.

“We’ve been in a lot of different situations, not only on the court, but off the court,” Fennelly said. “They’re learning more about each other, more about what they have to do and how to prepare.”

After the team’s first win, the Cyclones traveled to Cedar Falls and defeated Northern Iowa then won at Creighton before heading to Hawaii.

“The problem with playing so many games is all you do is prepare for the next game,” Fennelly said. “You can’t really work on the things you need to work on, you have to do things to try and win a game.”

Fennelly said he thinks the team has handled the stretch on the road well.

“I could not be more pleased with where we are, considering all the things that went into this and trying to still find a rotation,” Fennelly said.

In the Waikiki Beach Marriott Classic, the Cyclones ended with two wins and the first loss of the season to Stanford, a lopsided 83-45 defeat.

“Apart from the Stanford game, we played well,” Lacey said. “We could’ve come out a lot worse than we did.”

Fennelly said he was pleased with the overall performance of the women in their first six games.

“Win or lose, realistically we’re in a good position in the big picture,” Fennelly said.

Although playing so many games in a row can be physically draining, Iowa State sees the fast turnaround as a way to prep for NCAA Tournament-style play — having only one day to prep for the next game.

“When you travel like that you have to play a lot of games in a short amount of time,” Fennelly said. “The quick turnaround is a good thing.”

The Cyclones wrap up their six-game road stretch Sunday against in-state rival Iowa.

“We have six games of six very different styles to look at, and our players have seen a lot of different things that we’ve done well,” Fennelly said. “Certainly it will help us practice with a greater sense of focus and understanding of what we’re trying to do.”

Ezell and Lacey receive recognition

Ezell and Lacey were named to the Waikiki Beach Marriott Classic All-Tournament Team.

Ezell averaged 9.7 points per game along with 3.4 assists in the three contests. She was 5 for 7 from beyond the arc and knocked down six free throws for a total of 21 points in the matchup against San Diego State.

Lacey led the Cyclones with 11.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. In the Prairie View A&M win, Lacey notched a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. In the win over SDSU, Lacey posted 17 points in the second half alone.

Milestone

During the Waikiki Beach Marriott Classic, head coach Bill Fennelly posted his 450th career win.