After another thrilling matchup between Iowa State and No. 15 Kansas State on Wednesday night, the Cyclones fought hard to upset the Wildcats yet again, but this time in Manhattan, Kansas, where Kansas State had not lost a game all season.
Iowa State forward Addy Brown led the Cyclones in their win over the Wildcats on Wednesday night with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, as she had one of her best performances in front of her family and friends.
“It felt really good,” Brown said. “Got to play back home in front of family and friends, so I wanted to have a good game since it meant a lot to me. You never want to have a bad game in front of a big crowd that’s there to watch you, so it felt good to see the ball go in.”
With Iowa State’s win Wednesday night, it now holds a three-game winning streak and will look to increase that number Saturday, as the Cyclones host Cincinnati in their final regular season game.
For the Bearcats, things have gone less than ideal in their first Big 12 season, as Cincinnati currently holds a 5-12 conference record, tied for 11th in the Big 12. With the five conference wins that the Bearcats possess, none have come against a team in the top-25 rankings, compared to Iowa State’s four top-25 wins.
The one bright spot on an underwhelming Cincinnati team has come from forward Jillian Hayes. Hayes leads the Bearcats in scoring (12.9) and rebounds (8.6), as she has proven to be a problem for opposing teams despite Cincinnati’s poor record.
Iowa State guard Hannah Belanger believes the team is hitting its stride at the right time, as the Cyclones look to continue their recent hot streak toward their matchup with the Bearcats on Saturday.
“I think right now we have a lot of momentum and confidence. I think a lot of players have stepped up recently and everyone is executing their role,” Belanger said.
Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly also believes that his team is at the best that it has been in a while, as he mentioned the state of the team is as good as it has been this season.
“I think we’re in as good of a spot as we’ve been in a really long time,” Fennelly said. “We’re as healthy as we’ve been in a while and, mentally, we’re in a good space, so we’re ready for what’s next.”
The Cyclones’ matchup with Cincinnati will be especially meaningful to Belanger and forward Nyamer Diew, as Iowa State will be hosting its senior night where the seniors will be playing their last home game as a Cyclone.
Iowa State hosts Cincinnati at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hilton Coliseum. The game will also be streamed on ESPN+.
