The ISU women’s basketball team had hoped to turnover a new leaf and

find

its groove in Saturday’s game with Texas A&M. Instead, it just turned

the

ball over . 32 times.

The result was a 88-71 pounding at the hands of the Aggies and a

second-straight Big 12 Conference loss for the Cyclones. Iowa State

dropped

to 1-3 in the Big 12, 13-3 overall.

“When you turn the ball over 32 times you aren’t going to win,” ISU

head

coach Bill Fennelly said. “The hustle plays to all the loose balls and

tipped balls were won by A&M. They were ready to go.”

The Aggies converted the Cyclones miscues into 29 points. LaToya Rose

scored a career-high 28 points against the Cyclones while Toccara

Williams

notched 12 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds and eight steals. The

Aggies

improve to 2-1 in the conference and 10-5 overall.

“Rose was on,” Texas A&M head coach Peggie Gillom said. “We knew she

could

do this.”

Iowa State never led in the game and found itself behind by 21 points

early

in the second half, but Lindsey Wilson and Angie Welle helped the

Cyclones

cut the lead to as few as seven points. Welle finished with 22 points

and

collected 13 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season and

Wilson

added 19 points but it wasn’t enough to prevent Texas A&M for winning

for

the first time against Iowa State.

Poor shooting also hurt the Cyclones. They went 23 of 51 (45 percent)

in

the game but struggled from behind the three-point arc shooting six of

23

(26 percent.) The Cyclones average 38.5 percent from beyond the arc,

third

in the Big 12. The Aggies made 30 of 65 shots (46 percent) and hit 42

percent of their threes (11 of 26.)

Iowa State suffered its second loss in a row after losing on Wednesday

to

No. 21 Texas, 66-65. The Cyclones will return home for their next two

games

but things won’t get any easier. No. 3 Oklahoma, the defending Big 12

Conference champion, is in town Tuesday and No. 9 Texas Tech will play

at

Hilton Coliseum Saturday.

The Cyclones and Sooners will tip-off at 7p.m. Tuesday.

-information from the Associated Press was used in this article.