Just one night after the men’s team dismantled Oklahoma, the magic continued inside Hilton Coliseum.

In a game that was every bit as physical as they had expected, the Cyclones (18-7, 6-6 Big 12) upset No. 13 Texas A&M (19-5, 9-3 Big 12) 61-54 in front of 9,300 fans on Wednesday night.

The win pulled the Cyclones back to .500 in conference play and was labeled as one of the biggest wins of the season by forward Nicky Wieben.

“[Texas A&M was] first in the conference, and it was just a really big win for us,” Wieben said.

Coach Bill Fennelly said he talked to his players about the symbols of Valentine’s Day before the game, attempting to motivate them and to get them ready to play.

“We played with a lot of heart tonight I thought. I’m very proud of my team,” Fennelly said.

Iowa State was led by its two post players – Toccara Ross and Wieben – in the victory.

Although the Cyclones lost the rebounding battle to A&M, 35-31, Wieben’s and Ross’ efforts were enough to stifle the A&M offense and cause frustration for Aggies coach Gary Blair.

“We had no inside game. We scored zero points with three different [post] players,” Blair said.

“I give Iowa State credit, and I give the crowd credit. This is one of the best places to play in the Big 12.”

Wieben led the Cyclones with 20 points, and Ross added 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. The two players were challenged physically all game long, combining to shoot 12 free throws and grab 20 rebounds.

“We expected that they were going to be rough, and it was a challenge that I think we lived up to,” Ross said.

The Cyclones made their run midway through the second half to pull away from the Aggies. With the game tied at 46, Iowa State went on a 14-1 run, which included eight points from Wieben.

Senior Lyndsey Medders started the game and played 32 minutes after missing the team’s last game against Baylor. Medders, who entered the game tied for sixth in the nation in assists per game at 6.4, dished out seven.

With a goal of finishing 8-8 in the conference, Ross said the win over the Aggies will prove important in giving the team confidence through the remainder of the season.

“It’s going to build a lot of momentum for us going into the Colorado game,” Ross said. “It’s definitely a confidence-builder for us.”