The conference schedule won’t get any easier for the ISU women’s basketball team, even after the Cyclones face second-ranked Texas Tech Wednesday at Hilton Coliseum.

After a 62-57 loss at Nebraska Saturday, the Cyclones are 0-1 in the Big 12 and 7-5 overall with their next four games all against teams ranked in the Top 20. The opponents — Texas Tech, Texas, Colorado and Oklahoma — are ranked Nos. 2, 3, 15 and 16, respectively, in the Associated Press poll.

“It’s unfortunate that you start off that way with a team that’s relatively new and young, [and] in certain roles for the first time,” head coach Bill Fennelly said during Tuesday’s Big 12 teleconference.

The Cyclones have one senior, Erica Junod, to lead the inexperienced team. Junod is averaging 10.9 points per game.

Fennelly said he believes Texas Tech and Texas are both Final Four-caliber teams and that it’s rare to play back-to-back games against teams that show that kind of dominance.

“In my opinion, we’re playing two teams that could be No. 1 back-to-back,” Fennelly said. “It’s tough, but that’s the nature of the league.”

Fennelly said the team still looks forward to competing against one of the best teams in the nation.

“All good coaches, all good players and programs, want to test yourself against the best,” Fennelly said. “But you don’t want to play Tech or Texas 16 times a year.”

The next two weeks will test the Cyclones, and Fennelly said he hopes the team can get a few wins before it’s done.

“It’s a tremendous challenge, but at the same time it’s a great opportunity to see what you can do,” Fennelly said.