For the past four years the ISU women’s basketball team had firmly entrenched itself as the best team in the state, having swept its three in-state rivals last four years.

That all changed Sunday after Iowa sent the Cyclones stumbling home with a stunning 66-46 blowout loss.

The Cyclones (5-2) have the opportunity to save face Thursday as they face their third and final in-state rival of the season in the Drake Bulldogs (5-2).

“[Drake] saw the same thing everyone saw yesterday, so I think they have to be excited to come up here and play,” coach Bill Fennelly said Monday at his weekly press conference.

What Drake witnessed was a complete shutdown of the Cyclone offense. A season-high 21 turnover and 20 fouls by Iowa State allowed the Hawkeyes to maintain full control of the game.

Although Sunday’s loss was only the Cyclones’ second of the season, both losses were by 20 points or more, including the 83-45 debacle against Stanford.

“We didn’t compete in either game the way we are capable of and that is my responsibility,” Fennelly said. “I have to figure out a way to get them to understand that.”

To do this, Fennelly said the team must refocus on the point he has always stressed — doing things fundamentally, such as limiting turnovers as well as fouls.

“That’s how we’ve won games in the past,” said senior forward Toccara Ross. “The Iowa game we took a step back. It’s something that really disappointed [Fennelly]. It disappointed the fans.”

While Iowa State is reeling from the loss in Iowa City, Drake —the Missouri Valley Conference’s defending regular season champions — enters Thursday’s game riding a four-game winning streak and looking to avenge its 58-51 loss last season.

Having played them 48 times, Iowa State has an idea of what to expect from the Bulldogs. The Cyclones, however, have not seen standout guard Kristin Turk.

Turk, who played only 10 minutes a year ago against Iowa State, was a bench option for most of last season. That is the position she remained in until a 12-point performance off the bench in Drake’s third game this season earned her a spot in the starting lineup and provided the foundation of her team-leading points-per-game average of 14.3.

“They are going to get some scoring from some different spots,” Fennelly said, regarding Drake. “It looks like Kristin Turk has played really well lately. She got into the starting lineup a few games ago. We haven’t seen a whole lot from here.”

In order to counter Turk and the rest of the Bulldogs, Iowa State returned to practice where Fennelly promised changes to the starting lineup would be made before the start of the game.

“For the next couple days we’re going to do the best we can to rally around each other, stick together, and finish out the first quarter of our season,” Ross said.