It’s back to the drawing board for the ISU women’s basketball team after a 64-39 drubbing at the hands of intrastate rival Iowa.

The Cyclones, who fell to 1-2 on the season, never heated up after stepping inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, shooting a frigid 32.7 percent from the floor and 17 percent from the free-throw line. It was the lowest scoring output by Iowa State since a 73-38 loss to Colorado in 1995 — a span of 243 games.

“Nobody shot too well today,” senior guard Lindsey Wilson said after the loss. “We weren’t getting good ball movement. We weren’t getting wide open on our threes. A lot of our shots were rushed.”

Head coach Bill Fennelly knows those things must change in order for his team to end a two-game skid when it meets Northern Iowa on Sunday. Tip-off at the West Gym in Cedar Falls is set for 4:05 p.m.

The Panthers (4-2) are coming off an 88-49 win over Sam Houston State last Saturday, but since a 1-point UNI victory in 1996, Iowa State has taken the last five games in the series by an average of 26 points. The Cyclones won 95-55 in Ames last season.

UNI will have had four more days than Iowa State to prepare for the contest, which Fennelly calls a big advantage. Sunday will mark the last of three consecutive games against in-state schools for the Cyclones. Drake beat Iowa State in a 63-61 nail-biter on Nov. 27 to start the current skid.

Fennelly said the in-state rivalry can take a lot out of any team and his Cyclones might be feeling the effects of that right now.

“Obviously, if you lose two in a row, you’re not in the best mood,” Fennelly said. “To go on the road against another in-state rival is not on the top of your wish list.”

Despite the large margin against the Hawkeyes, Fennelly doesn’t think his team took a step backwards in the loss. He said inexperience could delay his team’s progress, but he also said will be times that an overall improvement won’t show up on the stat sheet.

Eight of the 12 eligible players on ISU’s roster are underclassmen.

“I think progress with our team is going to be a little bit slower,” Fennelly said. “The progress may not always be indicated in wins and losses. But there’s a great deal to play for, and that’s what we have to believe.”

Junior guard Amy Swisher and senior forward Katie Miller lead the Panthers, combining for nearly 30 points per game. Swisher, a preseason all—Missouri Valley Conference selection, also averages 7.5 assists per game. Fennelly said he’s wary of both of them and that they present a big task defensively.

The cold shooting performance against Iowa was frustrating to Fennelly, and he said his players will continue to work hard on their shot in preparation for UNI. He said he knows his players have the talent; it’s just a matter of getting back on track.

“The first game of the year, we shot the ball well, made 13 threes, so it’s there,” Fennelly said. “We’ve just got to get it back.”