The Nebraska women’s basketball team has continued to surprise its competitors this season. Iowa State won’t be oblivious to the No. 22 Huskers’ accomplishments Wednesday night in Lincoln, Neb.

Nebraska, who was ranked sixth in the Big 12 preseason poll – two votes below Iowa State – is now tied for second in the conference at 5-2 with Baylor and Texas A&M. The team is 17-4 overall with its only two Big 12 losses coming to No. 9 Oklahoma and by one point to No. 18 Texas A&M.

“This team looks a lot like Oklahoma; they have a great sophomore post player who is surrounded by seniors,” said coach Bill Fennelly. “They’re playing at a very high level right now, and they’re a team that would be an NCAA tournament team.”

The Huskers have an arsenal of inside and outside weapons to help lead a campaign for Big 12 success.

Led by 6-foot-2 powerhouse forward Kelsey Griffin, the Huskers have followed up a challenging nonconference schedule to become a front-runner in the Big 12 title chase. Griffin is averaging 16.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, good for fifth and sixth in the conference, respectively.

She is closely followed by senior Kiera Hardy, who averages 15.9 points a contest. Hardy is also a top figure in assists and free-throw percentage and averages 2.05 3-pointers a game.

Griffin, whose field goal percentage is more than 60 percent, will be a focal concern for the Cyclones on the Huskers’ home court.

“Griffin is very efficient with the ball; when she gets it inside, she finishes,” Fennelly said. “Her footwork is very good and she doesn’t need a ton of shots. Her consistency is something special and has really changed their team.”

Nebraska comes into the contest fresh off of a 20-point win over Kansas in which Griffin tallied her ninth double-double of the season. Iowa State won by a close margin over Kansas State, receiving a career night from freshman Alison Lacey, who was awarded Big 12 Rookie of the Week honors for her performance.

Along with the Huskers’ balance between its outside and inside game, the Cyclones must contend with coach Connie Yori’s love of the press.

“They will press us full-court, and they play hard on the defensive end,” Fennelly said. “They also aren’t afraid to use their bench, they guard hard and play with a lot of enthusiasm.”

The Huskers are 35-29 against Iowa State in the all-time series. Nebraska has been improving its road resume with wins at Texas and Missouri, as well as the nail-biter at Texas A&M.

“They’re doing very well on the road, and there’s not any question at this point in the season that they’re not talking about seeding,” Fennelly said. “This team is not a surprise anymore.”

For an ISU team that suffered a rough patch of conference games at the beginning of the season, a win against Nebraska on the road could prove to be a defining moment.

“Both teams seem to play at a higher level against each other at home,” Fennelly said. “This could be one of those games that separates you from other people in your league and nationally, beating a ranked team on the road.”