After impressive non-conference wins over Northern Iowa and Buffalo, Bill Fennelly and the Cyclone women’s basketball team sprang into its Big 12 schedule with three big victories over Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas.

The Cyclones kicked off their winter break with an 80-73 win over Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls on December 21. The victory, highlighted by a 33-point career day for point guard Stacy Frese, snapped a seven-game Panther win streak and handed them their first loss of the year.

Frese’s 33 points included 8-for-10 shooting from behind the three-point arc.

Nine days later, in their non-conference finale, ISU disposed of Buffalo, 77-55. Desiree Francis came off the bench to lead all scorers with 18 points, including four treys. Megan Taylor’s 16 rebounds were a game-high and just one off of her career high.

The Cyclones opened their conference schedule on January 2 at Oklahoma.

After playing ISU close for the first 12 minutes, Oklahoma couldn’t continue to compete and fell behind, 47-29, at the half.

The Sooners would get no closer than the 18-point half-time margin, eventually falling, 81-60.

“Give Iowa State all the credit in the world,” OU head coach Sherri Coale said, “they were fantastic today.

“They made tough shots all afternoon long, they made their free throws, and they made their three-pointers. They deserve all the credit.”

Frese again led the Cyclone charge, sinking seven three-pointers en route to a game-high 26 points. Taylor and Francis each added 16.

Forward Monica Huelman and center Angie Welle each had six rebounds to lead the team.

Erica Haugen committed only one turnover in 35 minutes of play while dishing out a team-high five assists.

In their Big 12 home opener, the Cyclones took a break from their usual double-digit victories and instead gave the 3,116 in attendance a heart-stopping finish.

After leading by as much as 13 in the first half, ISU allowed the Texas Longhorns to catch up, leading by only five at the break.

Texas opened the second half with a 15-2 scoring run that gave them an eight-point lead, but the Cyclones bounced back to knot the score at 52 with under 10 minutes to play before building an eight-point lead of their own.

In a game of runs, Texas mounted one more, tying the game at 68 apiece on an Edwina Brown jumper with just 2.9 seconds remaining.

After a pair of timeouts, the Cyclones broke out a play Fennelly swears is practiced once every day.

Haugen heaved the ball the length of the court to Taylor, who caught it several feet outside the three-point arc, spun around and put up a prayer that was answered to give ISU a 71-68 lead.

The shot, which seemed to hang in the air for several minutes, had apparently only lasted 1.9 seconds, as the officiating crew gave Texas one second to attempt the same play.

The Longhorn effort came up short and ISU escaped with its sixth consecutive win.

Frese again led the Cyclones with 17 points. Welle chipped in 14, Taylor added 13 and Francis finished with 10 to round out the double-digit scoring.

Taylor’s seven rebounds led the team in a rare contest in which ISU was beaten on the boards, 38-29.

Haugen and Frese each managed four assists. Haugen, not considered a major scoring threat, hit a pair of three pointers in the second half to put the Cyclones back in the game.

On Saturday, ISU faced preseason Big 12-favorite Kansas in front of a regular-season record 6,970 fans at Hilton Coliseum. The Jayhawks, a team almost as talented as they are cocky, gave the Cyclones a physical battle but didn’t have the skills to stick with them on the scoreboard.

ISU opened up leads of as much as 15 points in the opening frame and led by 10 at the break.

The Jayhawks closed to within four in the second half, but clutch shooting and poise stuck with the Cyclones while it evaded Kansas.

In the end, ISU turned away the Jayhawks, 70-58.

Taylor scored 17 points to lead all players and Francis and Welle added 14 and 12 points, respectively, as the duo each picked up a double-double. Francis had 10 rebounds, Welle 11.

Standout upperclassmen Nakia Sanford and Lynn Pride led the Jayhawk offense, but it was their poor attitudes and trash-talking that made the biggest impact on Cyclone players and fans alike.

Pride was whistled for a technical foul in the first half after taunting and Sanford could have been flagged for a number of technicals herself as the game wore on.

Concerning Pride’s behavior, the Cyclone’s Francis was surprised after the game.

“I didn’t know she had that attitude problem,” Francis said.

The Cyclones, now 11-1 overall and 3-0 in the Big 12, have so far overcome not only their conference opponents, but the Big 12 coaches who predicted an ISU finish of no higher than third (Kansas was selected to win the conference).

ISU currently shares the conference lead with Texas Tech.