LINCOLN, Neb. – For the second time against the Cyclones this season, the Nebraska women’s basketball team had a shooter’s touch.

Unlike their first meeting this season, Iowa State (18-11, 7-9 Big 12) was able to slow the Huskers (20-10, 9-7 Big 12) down in the final 20 minutes but still couldn’t make up the halftime deficit, leaving the Bob Devaney Sports Center with a 55-45 loss.

The Cyclones’ defensive effort was completely different from that first meeting, when the Cyclones surrendered the most points of their season in an 82-72 loss in Ames on Jan. 19.

But defense hasn’t been the problem lately.

Offensive woes have been most prominent for the Cyclones for the second half of the conference schedule, as they averaged just 52.8 points per game in the final eight games of the season.

Sophomore guard Alison Lacey was a lone bright spot for the Cyclones offensively on Wednesday, hitting 4-of-6 3-pointers on her way to 14 points and six rebounds.

“Aus did it almost on her own,” said coach Bill Fennelly. “Our inside game was non-existent. It’s tough to win games when you don’t get anything around the basket, and we couldn’t.”

Iowa State forwards Jocelyn Anderson and Amanda Nisleit were limited to just four points apiece.

Iowa State got within four at 33-29 with 15:01 left to play in the second half, but Nebraska never let the Cyclones get any closer. No matter what Iowa State tried to do against the Huskers, nothing proved effective.

“Both teams hit some big shots, but they hit a couple at critical times, and we couldn’t,” Fennelly said. “We tried a lot of different things tonight to keep them off-balance. But defense isn’t our problem – we’re struggling to score. And when you play a team that can defend like Nebraska, it’s tough to get good looks at the basket.”

The Cyclones shot just 34.8 percent from the floor and scored less than 30 points in the first half for the eighth time in 10 games.

With a potential at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament on the horizon, Wednesday night’s match up was loaded with importance for both teams.

A win for the Cyclones would have brought them to an 8-8 conference record, which would have all but ensured a tournament bid. Instead, the waiting begins.

“I don’t think it is a problem, which is probably a good thing,” Fennelly said. “I think about my wife, my two kids, and the NCAA Tournament 24/7, but I don’t think our team really thinks about it. It’s probably more of but I don’t think our team really thinks about it. It’s probably more of an issue to me than to them.”

In order to keep their bubble from bursting, the Cyclones will need a solid performance in the Big 12 Conference tournament next week.

After the Big 12 Tournament, a trip to the NCAA will be up to the discretion of the NCAA Selection Committee.

“Are we one of the 64 best teams in the country in the at-large pool?” said Fennelly. “I would say absolutely yes. But that’s not always the way it works, and we’ll have to wait and see. But if you look at strictly numbers, it’s hard to say that our team doesn’t warrant consideration when put up against other teams.”