As if losing one starting guard in a week wasn’t bad enough.

The ISU women’s basketball team was without Lindsey Wilson and Erica Junod for Sunday afternoon’s exhibition game against Johnson Financial Services. The Cyclones shook off a rough start to pound out a 71-36 win.

Head coach Bill Fennelly said that Wilson, who is nursing a sore shoulder, could have played, but he chose to rest her for the regular season opener.

Junod tore her anterior cruciate ligament last Monday and will be out for the season.

Iowa State struggled to start the game, hitting only three of its first 17 shots. The Cyclones were hampered by a four-minute scoring drought. Despite the slow start offensively, the defense helped to keep it close.

Melanie Bremer hit a three-pointer for the Cyclones at the 4:29 mark to give them the lead for good at 21-18. Iowa State led at the half, 29-21.

According to Tracy Gahan, Fennelly’s speech at halftime lit a fire under the Cyclones.

“Our intensity level wasn’t up very high and I think he saw that,” Gahan said. “He had to say something to get us going.”

It worked.

The Cyclones were more aggressive, and shot a blistering 45 percent from behind the three-point arc. They pulled away early and outscored Johnson Financial 42-15 in the second half.

Mary Cofield paced the Cyclones with 18 points.

The junior also grabbed eight boards. ISU center Angie Welle celebrated her 22nd birthday with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Other bright spots for the Cyclones included freshmen Tracy Paustian and Ada Anderson.

Paustian scored 12 points in her second game as a Cyclone and Anderson had five points and five rebounds in 21 minutes.

Johnson Financial, which features former collegiate players from all four of Iowa’s Division I schools, was led by Mary Berdo with nine points. Former Cyclone Monica Huelman had eight.

Fennelly said his team has gone through a lot early in the season, namely injuries and sickness.

“Every team has a lot of growing to do early in the year,” Fennelly said. “We’ve got to have some key people get involved earlier, quicker, and kind of carry the load for us.”

Gahan shouldered the load at point guard for most of the game.

The senior notched eight assists, but had five turnovers as well. Fennelly said Gahan played well for being in a different position.

“I thought Tracy Gahan did the best she could,” he said. “When you have someone in a new position, the people around them have to help a little more than we helped today.”

Gahan attributed Iowa State’s slow start to a lack of enthusiasm and noted that there were some bad practices last week.

“We had two horrible practices before this,” Gahan said. “There’s a lot of things going on with our team right now that I don’t think anyone would have expected one week ago today.”

Fennelly said it was nice to see his former players, Huelman and Sarah Robson, come back. He talked to Huelman after the game.

“She’s the first recruit we signed at Iowa State, so there’s always a special place for Mo,” Fennelly said.

“Her and Sarah Robson have had a lot to do with where this program is today.”