With only a single road win under its belt, the ISU women’s basketball team is facing another chance to prove itself away from home.

The Cyclones travel to No. 15 Baylor Saturday in a crucial conference matchup on dangerous turf. The Bears have only suffered one loss in Waco, Texas, against No. 12 Oklahoma, and defeated Texas Tech on Wednesday. This opportunity will be a pivotal point before the Cyclones (17-6, 5-5 Big 12) return home for three straight games at Hilton.

“Baylor is a team that is so well-balanced, and Kim [Mulkey] does such a good job of coaching them,” ISU coach Bill Fennelly said. “No matter what happens, we’ll be feeling like we can play on a higher level.”

Baylor (20-4, 7-3 Big 12) is fourth in the conference behind a three-way tie for first place between Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas A&M. The Bears’ three conference losses have been to those three teams.

Though the competition is stiff, the Cyclones know how much this win would mean to their resume.

“Any time you can get a win on the road against a team in the Big 12, it’s big in this league, anywhere from the top to the bottom,” said ISU senior guard Lyndsey Medders. “To beat teams in this conference, you’ve got to protect your home court and steal a couple on the road.”

The biggest threat in that quest comes in the 6-foot-1 form of Bernice Mosby, the Bears’ leading scorer and most dominant player. She is averaging 18.2 points per game, third in the conference, and is a fierce presence defensively as well.

“Bernice Mosby is one of the best post players in the country, not just our conference,” Medders said. “There will have to be consistent production from our post players approaching a game where you have someone who’s as talented as she is defensively.”

Fennelly’s approach the Mosby matchup is simple: Keep them guessing.

“Mosby’s very good, and she’s one of those post players that we’re going to have to find different ways to limit her touches,” he said.

Placing a double-team on Mosby is subject to leaving the perimeter open, an advantage that junior guard Angela Tisdale might capitalize on.

“They’re not a team that shoots a lot of 3-point shots, but they shoot it just good enough to scare you,” Fennelly said. “How do you not give up too many wide-open shots and still be able to double-team Mosby?”

Iowa State’s own perimeter game is a window for opportunity on Saturday.

“As perimeter players we haven’t shot well on the road, but we know that will be a key point for this game,” Medders said.

A well-played game is what the Cyclones need in their late conference run.

“We need to prove we can go on the road and play a top-20 team,” Fennelly said.