In a game that was supposed to be about the seniors, it was the play of the underclassmen that led the ISU women’s basketball team to victory against Nebraska on Saturday.

The Cyclones defeated the Cornhuskers 62-57, despite shooting just 31 percent from the field. Iowa State (11-15, 6-9 Big 12) was helped by Nebraska’s cold shooting, as the Cornhuskers (8-18, 1-14) only connected on 32 percent of their shots.

It was the final home game for seniors Lindsey Wilson, Mary Cofield and Holly Bordewyk, who received a going-away present from their teammates.

Wilson, the team’s leading scorer, was ice cold from the floor, hitting just four of her 21 attempts, and finishing with 12 points.

Wilson had just five points in the first half, and her first basket in the second half came with just 4:17 left in the game. That basket was exactly what the Cyclones needed, though, as it put the Cyclones on top after trailing the whole second half.

With Wilson struggling to score, sophomores Mary Fox, Anne O’Neil and Lisa Kriener stepped up on the offensive end. Fox led all scorers with a career-high 15 points, and just missed a double-double, pulling in nine rebounds.

Wilson was really pleased with her teammates’ performance when she was having an off day.

“I’m just glad my teammates came through,” she said. “Kriener and [Brittany Wilkins] did a great job inside. Anne and Fox hit a couple really big shots. It’s just nice to see.”

O’Neil did attain the first double-double of her career, scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. The sophomore was five for five from the free-throw line, and her last two free throws sealed the victory for the Cyclones.

“I’ve been practicing my free throws a lot lately,” O’Neil said. “We just needed a spark and we were ready to go. It was a great game and a big win.”

Junior Erica Junod, who would have been a senior this season had she not redshirted her freshman year, also played a major part in the victory, scoring six points and grabbing 10 boards.

Head coach Bill Fennelly was glad to get some balance to his team’s offense, something he has seen just a few times this year. He said the role players took it to another level.

“[They] really impacted the game today,” he said. “They scored, they rebounded. It’s nice to see when Lindsey’s shot’s not going in. She got some help that she didn’t get on Wednesday. That made the difference in the game.”

Coming off a game against Colorado where Wilson’s 41 points outscored the rest of her teammates’ scores combined, Fox said it was a big boost for the team to respond the way the did against Nebraska.

“It was definitely big,” she said. “Lindsey’s shot wasn’t falling, so it was really special since it was our last home game and the seniors’ last home game. We just wanted to do it for them.”

The women finish up the regular season at Kansas on Wednesday. They will attend the Big 12 Conference tournament in Dallas the following week.