The Iowa State Cyclones (10-6, 2-3 Big 12) will battle the Kansas State Wildcats (7-8, 1-3 Big 12) at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in Hilton Coliseum.

This conference game is a pivotal one for both teams’ futures as they try to emerge out of the competitive Big 12 Conference.

The Cyclones are coming off a close win over Oklahoma State. Iowa State struggled shooting from the field in the first half, which left it with a nine-point deficit going into half.

That deficit grew to 12 at the start of the second half, but thanks to a 17-2 run to finish the third quarter, Iowa State was able to take a 48-47 lead. They went on to win 64-63, thanks to an Ines Nezerwa layup and some solid defense down the stretch. 

While the Cyclones held tough, finding scoring options at certain points during the game proved difficult. Iowa State faced a reality during that game that they will likely face for the rest of the year — teams will try anything to stop Ashley Joens from scoring (23 points per game). 

But Joens still managed to score 17 points against Oklahoma State. Even if Joens is not scoring, she helps the team in other ways. She comes into the game with nine double-doubles on the season and is third on the team in assists with 31. It is no question that Kansas State will try to limit Joens just as Oklahoma State did.

Meanwhile, the Kansas State scoring load is much more spread out. The Wildcats have five players averaging double figures in points. Their leading scorers are Peyton Williams (15.2 points per game) and Ayoka Lee (15.1). However, those two are not threats from the outside.

That role is reserved for Christianna Carr, who is 33-108 from beyond the three-point line. As a team though, the Wildcats are just a hair above 26 percent.

Kansas State has lost two games in a row, including a 70-63 loss to Oklahoma State. But one area where the Wildcats have been able to edge their opponents is on the glass. They rank second in the conference in rebounds per game with 43.40. Iowa State ranks fifth at 41.63. But while Kansas State is sufficient on the glass, it still gives up on average 65.47 points per game, which ranks eighth in the Big 12 Conference. 

A place that could be crucial for the Cyclones is the free throw line. The Cyclones shoot 80 percent from the line while Kansas State shoots around 65 percent. The Cyclones shoot an average of about 21 free throws per game.

Since Kansas State has had some difficulty on defense, the free throw line could be an opportunity for Iowa State to get some much needed points.