Two and a half weeks ago, the ISU women’s basketball team lost by 31 points to a hot Kansas State team just on the verge of asserting its dominance in the Big 12. On Wednesday night, they played a red-hot Wildcat team and lost by three.

The Wildcats started their season 5-5 – since then, they have gone 12-1. During those 13 games, they have remained unbeaten on the road in the Big 12 and knocked off multiple ranked opponents.

After the 31-point loss by the Cyclones in Manhattan, Kan., a three-point loss may seem like a moral victory for the Cyclones – or at least a little encouraging. However, coach Bill Fennelly doesn’t see it that way.

“I would say, if [my players] are encouraged, then they don’t understand the game,” Fennelly said. “I don’t know how you could be encouraged by losing a game at home when shooting 32 percent [from the field].”

That said, Kansas State coach Deb Patterson knew the first meeting between the teams was something of a fluke and that, this time around, things were going to be much different – and she was right.

“We knew that first game was a blip on the map,” said Patterson. “There was no way we left that game feeling like ‘Oh, gee, we’re a dominant team over Iowa State or anybody.’ I think tonight, what we saw was a more classic Iowa State basketball game.”

The big picture of a well-coached team that plays to its opponents’ weaknesses may have been classic, but the smaller details, such as shooting the basketball, were not typical for the Cyclones.

Stifling perimeter defense held the Cyclones, who have been a top-20 3-pointer-shooting team this season, to only 4-of-21 from beyond the arc. Sophomore guard Alison Lacey, who came into the game ranked in the top 10 from beyond the arc, made only 1 of 10 threes. Lacey was the Cyclones’ leading scorer with 13 points, but shot just 5-of-22 from the floor. Her last miss was a distorted layup that would have given the Cyclones the lead with five seconds remaining.

As the last seconds ticked off with Iowa State down by three, Lacey was called for traveling after driving into the lane.

According to Lacey, it’s not the size of the loss margin, but the way it happens that matters most.

Sometimes having the chance to win and blowing it can be worse than getting blown out.

“It’s definitely a lot nicer to be in the game than to be blown out by 30 points,” Lacey said. “But a loss by three points – I don’t know what’s worse, 30 points or three.”