It’s been a tough road, and it’s not getting easier any time soon for the ISU women’s basketball team.

The women have two games left on its schedule, one against a probable NCAA tournament contender.

The Cyclones (15-10, 6-8 Big 12) have dropped two straight games, and head to College Station, Texas, to meet up with fourth-place Texas A&M Sunday.

“It’s a tough league, and a hard part of the season,” said ISU coach Bill Fennelly. “It’s just one of those things that every player has to take responsibility to help this team win.”

Winning hasn’t been easy.

The Cyclones have contended in almost every game this season, including Wednesday’s loss to Missouri. They battled back in the second half to even the score, but cold shooting doomed them yet again.

In the past three games, the Cyclone guards have combined for 60 points, but junior Lyndsey Medders has logged 42 of those. Junior Megan Ronhovde has chipped in 13, while freshman Heather Ezell has added five.

Ezell had a hot hand early in the season, but has struggled in the past three games, in which she’s logged a total of 107 minutes. In that time, she’s only managed three assists, in addition to the five points.

“I think you’re always concerned when Heather [Ezell]’s playing a lot of minutes and doesn’t score or have many assists,” Fennelly said. “She has played a lot of minutes, but we don’t have a choice.”

Ezell averages just over 10 points per game, good for third on the team. With the Aggies’ aggressive style of play, the ISU guards could be in for another tough night.

“They play an attacking, pressing style,” Fennelly said. “We have to take care of the ball and rebound to have a chance.”

The Cyclones have shown a strong defense throughout the Big 12 season, and Fennelly said he’s still looking for the right combination for the team to click. Until that happens, Iowa State expects no sympathy.

“No one’s going to feel sorry for us,” Fennelly said. “We have to make a few more plays. Defensively we’ve been pretty solid. You look at every category [and] defensively we’re doing OK.”

The last two games could tell a lot about the team’s future.

“What kids can we count on from start to finish? Its a learning curve,” Fennelly said. “A lot of these kids are going to be in the mix again next year, and you learn about your players every day.”

Tip-off against the Aggies is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. The Cyclones return home Thursday for their season finale against Colorado.