The road trip from hell turned out to be just that.

The Iowa State women’s basketball team, coming off the heels of a 71-47 drubbing administered by Texas Tech, dropped a tough decision to the Clemson Tigers by the score of 81-72.

The Cyclones, because of problems with their flight, didn’t arrive in Clemson until early Sunday morning. They were also forced to play without leading rebounder and third-leading scorer Desiree Francis.

The junior, who provides a solid spark off the bench, will be sidelined for at least two weeks with a stress fracture in her foot.

ISU fought valiantly the entire way, but in the end the lack of a presence inside ultimately led to the Cyclones’ demise.

“We played really hard, and we competed for 40 minutes. We said before the game we needed someone else to step up, but we just couldn’t get it done,” coach Bill Fennelly said.

The dynamic duo of Megan Taylor and Stacy Frese were once again spectacular. Taylor scored a game-high 23 points while snaring 11 rebounds, while Frese tallied 12 of her 18 points in the second half.

The pair also combined for nine three-pointers on the day.

“I think it came down to the second half, and we just couldn’t keep up. We wore down near the end,” Taylor said.

The first half was punctuated by a series of offsetting scoring runs made by each club.

ISU put on a 13-4 run to take a 28-21 lead with less than four minutes to play in the half. Clemson responded in kind with a 7-0 run that tied the game up at 28.

Taylor’s three-pointer with six seconds left in the half tied the score at 33 heading into intermission.

Taylor’s 13 points led the Cyclones at the break, and they showed their dependence on the outside game by shooting 13 three-pointers, hitting on five of them.

Another key stat from the half was Iowa State’s 12 turnovers, which Clemson was able to parlay into 14 points.

The second half began much like the first, as the lead seesawed back and forth between the two tournament-bound teams.

However, after Frese’s two free throws gave ISU a 45-43 lead with 15:20 left in the game, Clemson put on a 9-0 surge that would put them in control for the remainder of the contest.

The Cyclones would make a solid effort to get back into the game, cutting the lead to two with under 6:00 left. But it was here that the Tigers inserted the dagger into the collective heart of the Cyclones: a 7-0 run capped by two long jumpers from Nuria Forns, who tallied all eight of her points in the decisive second stanza.

Although they would continue to fight until the bitter end, it was clear this would not be the Cyclones’ day to shine in the national spotlight.

Monica Huelman had a solid game with 11 points, while Angie Welle contributed eight points and 11 rebounds.

ISU ended up shooting a season-high 29 three-pointers in the game, sinking 11.

They will now turn their attention back to Big 12 play, where they will take on nationally-ranked Nebraska on Thursday at Hilton Coliseum.

The Cyclones received new life when Kansas upset Texas Tech, so they are now tied in the loss column with the Lady Raiders.