Cyclones to battle Baylor Lady Bears

Paul Kix

The ISU women’s basketball team bring its 15-1 record into Waco, Texas to face the 13-3 Baylor Lady Bears tonight.Baylor’s Danielle Crockrom will be waiting.Crockrom scored 41 points and grabbed 22 rebounds against Texas A & M Saturday. She is not, however, the only worry on ISU head coach Bill Fennelly’s mind.Sheila Lambert, a transfer guard from Grayson County College in Denison, Texas, went for 37 points against Kansas on Jan. 6.”The two of them are averaging 54 points a game,” Fennelly said. “They’re two great players.”The game plan for the Cyclones this evening will then be to play a tight zone defense, and not to become distraught if Crockrom and Lambert go for a big night, Fennelly said.ISU center Angie Welle will meet Crockrom often in the paint tonight, but Welle is not worried.She pointed out, against the Aggies over the weekend, that Crockrom shot the ball 30 times to get her 42 points.And against Kansas, Lambert hoisted up 24 shots.Many shot attempts means many rebounding opportunities.”You have to rebound the ball well on the road,” Fennelly said.The Cyclones will have plenty of time to learn how. Over the next two weeks, Iowa State will play three of its four games on visiting floors.But running back in defensive transition across the Ferrell Center floor is a key for the Cyclones.Fennelly believes one way to stop a quick score by the Lady Bears is with a productive Cyclone offense.”Part of running an [effective] offense,” he said, “is making sure you can get back in defensive transition.”And the Cyclones may have an upper hand in point guard Lindsey Wilson.She has spent previous summers at basketball camps playing against Lambert.”I know how she plays,” Wilson said.Iowa State looks to improve to 6-0 in conference play. Baylor is looking to draw even in the Big 12 with a win, at 3-3.Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.