FRESNO, Calif. — After a disappointing end to the ISU women’s basketball team’s season, ISU coach Bill Fennelly had a few words of wisdom for his players.

“I told them, ‘Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened,'” he said.

The Cyclones have a lot to smile about — a 23-7 overall record, a tie for third place in the Big 12 Conference and an unblemished 15-0 record at Hilton Coliseum.

Coming off an 18-15 campaign and an appearance in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament final four, Iowa State was picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 by the coaches and media, but began to roll early in the season.

Iowa State matched its best start in school history with a 15-1 mark and won its first five conference games. During the stretch, they held a 12-game winning streak, which was second best in the nation.

“The challenge is to enjoy where we are now, to try to get a little better and not have the highlight of our season be in mid-January, but hopefully in late March,” Fennelly said at the time.

One of the Cyclones’ biggest season highlights would come only a few weeks later, as Iowa State clawed its way to a 73-69 victory over then-No. 13 ranked Texas.

The win put the Cyclones in sole possession of first place in the Big 12 and vaulted them to a No. 14 ranking nationally, the teams’ highest ranking since 2002.

It was also another small step in Iowa State’s mission to return to the NCAA tournament.

“Throughout the season, our goal was the NCAAs,” said senior Anne O’Neil. “That was our motivation.”

O’Neil, along with Iowa State’s four other seniors — Katie Robinette, Mary Fox, Lisa Kriener and Tracy Paustian — paved the way for a return to the postseason.

“They’re five of the greatest people I’ve ever met,” Fennelly said. “They’ll be a part of my life forever. I have two great sons, but if I had daughters I’d take them.”

Both O’Neil and Robinette were members of all-Big 12 Conference teams, and O’Neil was also a member of the Kodak/WBCA District 5 All-America Team.

The seniors accounted for two-thirds of Iowa State’s offensive output, led by O’Neil, Robinette and Fox, who all averaged double-digit points per game.

Sophomores Lyndsey Medders and Megan Ronhovde accounted for the other bulk of Iowa State’s scoring. At one point during the season, Ronhovde hit 11 consecutive 3-pointers during a three-game span, including a 6-of-6 performance against Colorado.

On March 13, one of Iowa State’s goals was accomplished, as the Cyclones were named to the NCAA tournament’s field of 64.

“It’s fun to be responsible for bringing this program back to where it belongs,” Fox said moments after the NCAA selection show. “Just watching your name pop up like that brought chills, and I’m so happy for Coach Fennelly and the entire program. We’re all such good friends, and the best part about all of this is we got to experience it together.”

The No. 7 seed Cyclones earned a date with the 10 seed — a 25-7 Utah Ute squad.

After leading by as many as 15 points in the first half, the Cyclones were overpowered in the second half, eventually falling 73-61.

On the day the Cyclones’ dream ended, Fennelly said he took pride in his players accomplishments.

“They found a way to do something really positive, not just [against Utah], but day in and day out,” Fennelly said. “It’s a group of people that’s truly been and honor to coach and been around.”