OKLAHOMA CITY – One year ago in the Big 12 Tournament, freshman Nicky Wieben sat and watched senior Brittany Wilkins dominate the post.

Wilkins graduated, Wieben became a sophomore, and had some awfully big shoes to fill.

She appears to have one foot in already.

Wieben was instrumental in the ISU women’s basketball team’s win against Kansas State on Tuesday in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament, notching 18 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots, all while staying out of foul trouble.

After a rough first half that saw Wieben score just four points, it looked like it would be a long night for the sophomore. But when it mattered most, Wieben got rolling.

“I wasn’t going as strong as I should have been,” Wieben said. “I was able to get some good shots up, and I think it helped us get in the flow of things.”

Wieben, who scored in the double figures for the 20th time this season and led the Cyclones in scoring for the 12th time, may have made the biggest shot of the game after burying a 3-pointer with 7:04 left in the game, giving the Cyclones momentum they never relinquished.

Wieben has a green light to shoot whenever she’s open, stemming back to her high school days.

“They always told me in high school to take it if I was open, because a lot of people think I’m a post and can’t shoot,” Wieben said. “I didn’t come out here with the mindset of shooting a three, but if I was open I was going to shoot it . I was wide open, and thank God it went in.”

ISU coach Bill Fennelly recognized the significance of Wieben’s 3-pointer, which was eerily reminiscent of what Wilkins did often for the Cyclones last season – making the clutch three.

“Obviously it was as big a three as [Wieben has] hit in a long time,” Fennelly said. “We were fortunate to make a couple.”

Before the season started, Fennelly praised Wieben for her summer work and said she was, by far, the most improved player from last year.

It showed Tuesday, and it was when the Cyclones needed it most.

“Guards were doing a fantastic job [defending] inside in the first half,” Wieben said.

Wieben’s second test comes against Nebraska at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, and Wieben expects much of the same out of herself for that contest.

“It’s a big game, we both have a lot on the line,” Wieben said. “We know a lot about each other, but I think today was a good day to get everything out, and get all the missed shots out of our system.”