The ISU women’s basketball team had an extra-long offseason this summer after missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven years.

After finally opening with a 65-39 exhibition win against Minnesota State-Mankato Sunday, the Cyclones are eager to get back on the court a second time.

“I’m real excited to come out and play again,” said redshirt sophomore center Brittany Wilkins. “It seems likes forever, one week.”

Iowa State will close its exhibition season at 2 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum against a South Dakota team that has already played three nonconference opponents and an exhibition game.

Head coach Bill Fennelly said South Dakota is a team similar to teams the Cyclones see in the Big 12.

“They know how to win. They’re well-coached. It’s their fifth game of the season, so they’re going to be ready to play,” Fennelly said. “They have an outstanding post player that, in any level, is a national-caliber player, and that’s they way they’re talking. They shoot the three. I think they’re going to start four seniors. It’s going to be a very good test for us — the kind of game you want to have.”

In Sunday’s game, senior guard Erica Junod led all scorers with 12 points. Wilkins completed a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds while junior center Lisa Kriener finished with 10 points. Iowa State dominated the rebounding category with a 55-28 advantage.

Junod said the Cyclones learned a lot about themselves from their first exhibition game.

“Obviously, defensively we stepped up. I think we learned that we can’t take any time off,” Junod said. “We don’t have the type of team who we can take time off and able to come back. That was obviously a huge learning experience for us.”

South Dakota, which is ranked No. 3 nationally in the Division II preseason poll, is 2-1 overall. The team’s two wins came over Mansfield and Central Arkansas. The Coyotes are led by senior forward Mandy Koupal, who is averaging 21.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Senior guard Erin Bourne averages 14.7 points per game. South Dakota has won four out of the seven matchups in its series with Iowa State.

Wilkins said South Dakota is a good team and the Cyclones have had a good week of practice to prepare for the Coyotes.

“The coaches have put some stuff together,” Wilkins said. “I just think that we have to keep going hard. Rebounding is going to be a big thing also. They’re going to be a good team.”

Fennelly said the two exhibition games will teach his team a lot before the Cyclones open up nonconference play Nov. 22 at Cleveland State.

“That’s the great thing about exhibition games. We’re going to see, in the two exhibition games, a lot of different things,” Fennelly said. “Hopefully, it’ll gives us a good idea of what we need to do when the regular season starts.”