The term “hostile environment” is one that is thrown around quite a bit in sports.

But, in two different locations Wednesday night, the terms could be defined very well.

First, there is the ISU women hosting 24th ranked Kansas at 6 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones are coming off the heels of a tough loss at Kansas State, one that put them one game behind Oklahoma for the lead in the Big 12.

When combined with the fact that the Jayhawks beat Iowa State in a physical and emotional battle in Lawrence earlier this year and that about 11,000 screaming Cyclone fans will be calling for the head of Lynn Pride on a stick, you have a hostile environment.

And then we switch to the men. Iowa State takes a 21-3 record into sold-out Phog Allen Fieldhouse to take on 21st ranked Kansas, who are two full games behind the Cyclones in the Big 12 standings.

Combine that with the fact that the Cyclones beat Kansas in a hard fought, physical battle earlier in the year in Ames and that 16,300 fans will be calling for the head of Marcus Fizer on a stick, you have a hostile environment.

How each team is able to deal with the adverse conditions could very well determine the outcome of the games.

The women, only one game out of the conference lead, still feel they can be a force and contend for the title.

“We still have a chance at it, if we take care of business, which we didn’t do Sunday. We know we’re a good team, and we can’t get down on ourselves,” senior point guard Stacy Frese said.

And the fact that the Jayhawks are the opposition will not hurt in terms of motivation for Iowa State.

“It’s always a big game because it’s Kansas, and they’re known for basketball. And they beat us up there, so it’s not a hard game to get up for,” Frese said.

She was asked to participate in the National Three-Point Championship, which is to be held Final Four Weekend in Indianapolis.

ISU head coach Bill Fennelly says that Kansas always presents an interesting challenge.

“We’ve got a nice rivalry going with them. They are two pretty good teams, with pretty much the same players the last couple of years. It seems like we play them about every other week. We played them three times last year and three times the year before that, and we might end up playing them three times this year, so we know each other very well,” Fennelly said.

One thing the Cyclones have done well over the last couple of years is containing Kansas All-American candidate Lynn Pride.

Pride averaged 17.1 points for the Jayhawks a year ago but only 12 against the Cyclones.

This season, she is up to 17.9 points per contest but was able to tally only nine in Kansas’ 58-49 win over Iowa State the first time these teams met.

Frese says there is nothing necessarily specific the Cyclones do to control the athletic 6-foot-2 senior.

“We just try and always be aware of where she is on the floor. She’s such a great player that you always have to know where she is, and go where she goes,” Frese said.

The Cyclones won’t have trouble recognizing the importance of this game.

“There’s only two weeks left in the season, so every game is big now. But the fact that they beat us before does add a little glamour to it, I guess you could say,” Fennelly said.

The men, meanwhile, face arguably their toughest challenge to date when they venture to Allen Fieldhouse, a place they haven’t won since 1982.

In the first game, won 74-66 by Iowa State, the Cyclones out-rebounded Kansas 42-41, something ISU coach Larry Eustachy identified as a key factor when the two teams meet again.

“The rebounding battle will be huge. It’s important every game, but especially against Kansas with all the height they have,” Eustachy said.

Iowa State has been led by the play of Marcus Fizer, who is roundly considered to be the favorite for Big 12 Player of the Year.

Eustachy says Fizer has matured a lot over the past year.

“He’s really enjoyed the success that the team has had. He struggled with the way the team played last year, and has really taken a leadership role this season,” Eustachy said.

According to Fizer’s coach, even more important than his 21 points per game is his attitude.

“He really is the leader on this team. You can see it at practice, in the weight room and during the game. He’s made tremendous strides all over,” Eustachy said.

The second-year coach believes that the junior forward could continue to improve over the course of the season.

“He’s made more progress week to week than any player that I’ve ever coached. He’s been very receptive to what we’ve done,” Eustachy said.

As far as the game tonight goes, Eustachy is singing the same tune he was before the two teams met just over two weeks ago.

“They have a tremendous amount of talent, and they’re one of the best coached teams in America. I’m just hoping we don’t go down there and get blown out,” Eustachy said.

The athletic department is going to show the men’s game in its entirety after the women’s contest on the big screen at Hilton Coliseum, something Fennelly thinks is a great idea.

“I love it. Gene Smith has been asking me for a while if it would be OK with me, and I said sure,” Fennelly said. “It should be a good atmosphere.”