Lindsey Wilson is recovering from the flu. Angie Welle is battling back spasms. The ISU women’s basketball team has lost two games in a row, including Saturday’s 88-71 debacle in which the Cyclones turned the ball over 32 times.

If that’s not a recipe for disaster, add the fact that two of the nation’s top 10 teams will be visiting Ames this week.

The No. 4 Cyclones will need to regroup and come ready to play – quick.

“It’s been frustrating to a sense,” said Welle, who is averaging 19.4 points and 10.8 rebounds a game. “We’ve been having mental lapses that have been costing us the game.”

It was 32 turnovers against Texas A&M that left Iowa State lifeless in College Station. The Aggies turned the Cyclone mishaps into 29 points.

“When you turn the ball over 32 times, you aren’t going to win,” ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said.

Texas A&M’s LaToya Rose was good for a career-high 28 points to lead the Aggies.

“Rose was on,” Aggie head coach Peggie Gillom said. “We knew she could do this.”

Welle led Iowa State with 22 points and 13 rebounds but it wasn’t enough to stop Texas A&M from winning its first-ever game against Iowa State.

The Cyclones had lost earlier in the week, 66-65 to No. 21 Texas. The loss to the Aggies put Iowa State at 1-3 in the Big 12 Conference and 13-3 overall.

Fennelly and company haven’t exactly hit the panic button yet, though. Despite the two losses Iowa State has the comfort of being 5-1 against No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 9 Texas Tech, this week’s two opponents, over the past two seasons.

“We still have a great record,” Fennelly said. “I still think we’re a very solid team.”

A solid team with health issues. Wilson suffered from the flu against Texas but is now feeling better. And then there are Welle’s back spasms which she will have looked at today.

“It just hurts when I do basketball stuff,” said Welle, noting that she runs pain-free but shooting free throws and rebounding cause her discomfort.

“We can’t use any excuses,” Fennelly said. “I think we get a little tired at the end of the game. We have to be tough enough to fight through those points of the game.”

Welle said she doesn’t want to miss action, no matter how much pain she is in.

“She’s tough,” Fennelly said.

The Cyclones team will find out how tough it is this week.

– Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.

boxscore

TEXAS A&M 88, No. 6 IOWA ST. 71

IOWA ST. (13-3)ÿ

Wilson 4-11 8-12 19, Gahan 2-6 3-4 8, Paustian 2-6 0-0 5, Welle 8-14 6-8 22, Bremer 5-10 2-2 13, Fox 0-2 0-0 0, Anderson 0-0 0-0 0, Cizek 1-1 0-0 2, Cofield 0-0 0-0 0, Kriener 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 23-51 19-26 71.

TEXAS A&M (10-5)

Williams 3-5 6-7 12, Derrick 4-8 2-2 11, Banahan 2-6 2-2 6, Rose 10-20 0-0 28, Moore 5-12 5-5 15, Cooper 1-4 0-2 2, Washington 1-3 2-2 4, Mitchell 3-6 0-1 7, Mason 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 30-65 17-21 88.

-Texas A&M 43-33. 3-Point goals-Iowa St. 6-23 (Wilson 3-9, Bremer 1-4, Paustian 1-4, Gahan 1-4, Fox 0-2), Texas A&M 11-26 (Rose 8-15, Mason 1-1, Derrick 1-2, Mitchell 1-3, Cooper 0-1, Moore 0-2, Banahan 0-2). Fouled out-Wilson. Rebounds-Iowa St. 39 (Welle 13), Texas A&M 32 (Williams 8). Assists-Iowa St. 21 (Paustian 6), Texas A&M 25. Total fouls-Iowa St. 19, Texas A&M 22. Technicals-Iowa St bench. A-1,385.