Following an impressive 61-54 win over No. 13 Texas A&M on Wednesday, the ISU women’s basketball team looks to improve on its NCAA tournament resume Saturday when they host the Colorado Buffaloes (11-13, 5-7 Big 12) at Hilton Coliseum.

The game is the second of a three-game homestretch before the Cyclones (18-7, 6-6 Big 12) hit the road for their final two conference games.

Coach Bill Fennelly said he hopes the victory over Texas A&M can build some momentum for his team in an attempt to get a bid to the NCAA tournament in March.

“I think any time you come to the end of the season, you want to feel like you’re playing well,” Fennelly said. “We’re in a big stretch, with our last three home games, and [the win over Texas A&M] was a great start.”

Iowa State has piled up a 13-1 record at Hilton Coliseum this season, and Fennelly said the venue is a big reason why the Cyclones have been able to beat teams like Texas and Texas A&M this year.

“Part of the success of our team over the years has been the crowd. We have very knowledgeable fans,” Fennelly said. “They really seem to have a great sense of when we need them to cheer and when we need them to get in the game. A lot of teams come in [to Hilton Coliseum] and don’t like to play here.”

The last time they took on the Buffaloes, the Cyclones lost 81-67 in a game that Colorado shot lights out from three-point range, making 13-of-23 attempts.

Fennelly said the next four games are very important as the Cyclones, who are tied for fifth in the Big 12, are vying for a spot in the NCAA tournament. He added his team should be fired up after beating a ranked team at home, but must focus on the task at hand, namely defense, to avoid a letdown against Colorado.

“I think a win like [Texas A&M] is very important. At the end of the year, every team in the country is looking for signature wins,” Fennelly said of Iowa State’s tournament resume. “The challenge is to build on that, because if we don’t play well on Saturday that takes away from everything we did [against Texas A&M].”

Senior Lyndsey Medders started against the Aggies, and played 32 minutes despite looking tired toward the end of the game. It was the point guard’s first game back after sitting out Feb. 10 against Baylor with recurring symptoms from a concussion sustained during a shoot-around before the Jan. 31 game against Nebraska.

Despite not practicing much leading into the game with Texas A&M, Fennelly said Medders looked good and will start against Colorado.

“I thought she played well; obviously fatigue is an issue,” he said. “She hasn’t been practicing much, and it’s tough to go out and play with the pace of [the Texas A&M] game, but she’ll start for us on Saturday.”