With its third comeback win in as many games, the ISU women’s basketball team seems to be getting used to playing from behind.

It may not be something ISU coach Bill Fennelly is comfortable with, but he may have come to terms with it – before each contest even begins.

“No pre-game speeches, obviously my speeches stink because we’re behind every game,” he said after the Cyclones 69-65 win over Texas Tech. “I said ‘It’s Valentine’s Day, show the fans you have a heart and let’s go play.'”

The Cyclones hit the locker room down five, and trailed by as many as nine before putting together a 13-0 run midway through the second half.

“We knew they’d make a run at us,” said Texas Tech coach Marsha Sharp.

“We didn’t continue to make plays on the offensive end. On the road it’s hard to survive it if you don’t make some.”

In its last three games, Iowa State has trailed by a combined 21 points at the half – eight against Missouri and Kansas State, and five against Texas Tech.

Rather than panic, the Cyclones appear to get fired up.

“You work better in crunch time,” said senior Brittany Wilkins. “I think in the second half we’ve shown that we can play.”

What’s their secret to making so many second half runs?

“We go into the locker room and we help each other,” said sophomore Lisa Bildeaux, who registered a double-double Tuesday. “It just shows that no matter what, we’re going to come back and we’re going to keep fighting.”

That’s all Fennelly has been asking for throughout Iowa State’s three-game winning streak.

“The most important thing is that we keep playing,” he said. “We’ve been down so many times, and keep fighting back and keep playing.”

The win rocketed the Cyclones back to .500 in the Big 12, right in the middle of the standings.

That’s everything this young team has been fighting for all season, just a chance to play for something more.

“We’re playing for something more right now, and that’s postseason play,” Wilkins said. “We don’t want to go to the NIT, we’re looking for the NCAA’s.”