Seven-point-three percent.

It was the difference from the ISU women’s basketball team’s field goal percentage in 2001-02 to a year ago, and to hear this year’s Cyclones talk, it was a big part of the difference between a 24-9 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2002 and last year’s 12-16 mark — head coach Bill Fennelly’s first losing season as ISU coach.

“We have to make shots,” said guard Erica Junod, the team’s only senior.

“You’ve got to make baskets,” Fennelly said. “We’ve got a lot of shooters. We need more makers.”

The Cyclones averaged just 65 points a game last year — and 28 of them left with departed seniors Lindsey Wilson, Mary Cofield and Holly Bordewyk.

Wilson scored 19.3 points a game and led Iowa State in scoring in 22 of 28 games. Many times, Wilson’s drives and pull-up 3-point shots were the Cyclones’ only offense.

“We may have five games, and in those five games, we may have five different leading scorers. I think that’s possible,” Fennelly said.

The ISU roster includes five new players, and Fennelly said he expects at least two to compete for starting positions.

Lyndsey Medders is the strongest candidate to take over for Wilson at point guard. The Los Angeles native, along with Minnesotan Megan Ronhovde, have both been impressive in fall workouts.

“We’ve got a great group of girls who are going to come in,” said junior guard Anne O’Neil, who averaged 10 points per game last season. “It’s not like I’m going out there and saying I need to average 20 points.”

When Wilson came to Iowa State for the 1999-2000 season, she split time at point guard with senior Stacy Frese. Medders won’t have the opportunity to be an understudy for a season, but Fennelly said he still has high expectations for her.

“Playing with a freshman point guard can be the greatest thing in the world, and it can be the worst thing in the world,” Fennelly said. “Playing point guard for me is, I think, the best job in the country and the worst job in the country at times.”

Inside, junior Lisa Kriener and sophomore Brittany Wilkins both return, but their roles may be different than those of past ISU post players.

“We’re going to change our offense a little bit, running our post players away from the basket and running our guards to the basket,” Fennelly said. “We’re going to try and do some things differently, because we don’t have a go-to post player, we don’t have a guard who can just break people down.”

Fennelly said Kriener improved her versatility in the offseason.

“I think she has the capability at some point to be an all-conference player,” he said. “The challenge for Lisa is we need to be a little more consistent.”

Fennelly also said the Cyclones might take advantage of some improved athleticism by extending their trademark zone defense with more halfcourt trapping and occasional full-court pressure.