Zero. 

That’s the number of win’s the Iowa State women’s basketball team has at the Big 12 tournament in the last four year’s — a whole lot of goose eggs. 

“I’m 0-3 in my career [in first round games],” said senior Emily Durr. “It’s very frustrating when you can’t get a win in the Big 12 tourney.”

But this season is different. This season there’s nothing to lose. The Cyclones aren’t playing with a NCAA Tournament seeding on the line, or even a NIT bid. Quite frankly, it’s for pride and to show the young squad what postseason play is all about. 

That doesn’t change coach Bill Fennelly’s mentality, though. He’s not going to roll over and get a head start on next season. He’s going to send his team out there and play for a win against Texas Tech, a team the Cyclones have beaten twice already this season. 

The Cyclones’ quest for a Big 12 Championship — essentially an NCAA Tournament bid — will begin on Friday in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The seventh-seeded Cyclones will tip-off against the 10th-seeded Red Raiders at 8:30 p.m. with the season on the line.

“When it’s a one and done situation, how you prepare and how you go about your business [is critical for the freshman],” Fennelly said. “Is there a great sense of urgency for you to keep playing because you can have great offseason workouts and all that kind of stuff, but nothing simulates anything like actual game time experience and the more experience they get, the better.”

And in recent years, with the season on the line, the Cyclones haven’t exactly come up big at the Big 12 Tournament. Since the 2013-14 Big 12 Tournament, Iowa State is 0-4. The year prior, the Cyclones lost in the Big 12 Championship to Baylor, the reigning national champions. 

Pride and experience aren’t the only things being played for, but also the seniors. With postseason play beyond the Big 12 Tournament out of play — barring a Big 12 title – the seniors are going to be playing every game as if their career is on the line. 

However, the two seniors, Durr and Claire Ricketts, didn’t wait till the conference tournament to begin playing with that mentality. For Durr, it took a meeting with Fennelly is finally realize her career is winding down. And for Ricketts, getting minutes in replace of the injured Bride Kennedy-Hopoate and freshman Kristin Scott sparked her. 

“I don’t think we ever want this year to end, honestly,” Durr said. “This team has been great. We all support each other, we’re all there for each other and I think the underclassmen really look up to us.

“Hopefully our careers don’t end and we can play forever, but you know, that’s not possible.”

Since her benching against Baylor on Jan. 17, Durr has averaged 18.4 points per game, highlighted by a career-high 27 points against Kansas earlier this week. Of the two, Ricketts has been the biggest surprise. The Texas native saw limited minutes until the injury bug hit the Cyclones, and since then, she has seized the opportunity. 

In the Cyclones’ upset win over Oklahoma State, Ricketts had seven boards and three blocks in just 16 minutes of play. In a key road win at TCU, she grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds and had six blocks — SIX BLOCKS. 

While Durr’s success is in large part because of the basketball talent she possesses, it’s also from the fact that star junior guard Bridget Carleton has been getting all the love when teams mock up a scouting report to prepare for Iowa State. 

“I think it cool, it’s an honor, it’s exciting when teams throw their best defenders at me,” Carleton said. “I think that’s a challenge and I think of it as a positive more than a negative.”

Carleton’s record-breaking season has forced teams to single out the Canadian, allowing for Durr to get open shots. While that’s not in Iowa State’s game plan to hope Carleton gets the attention and in turn, allows Durr to get open, it’s something that Durr must adjust to on the fly. 

Speaking of Carleton’s record-breaking season, the All-Big 12 First Team honoree racked up 347 conference points, breaking the Cyclones’ single-season record for points in conference play. Her 545 total points puts her in sixth all-time for the cardinal and gold with at least one game remaining. 

“It’s cool, it’s a cool record I guess,” Carleton said. “I don’t think it’s that important, I’m just trying to do what I need to help this team win and help this team be successful.”

However, whether the focus is on Carleton or Durr, or if the Cyclones are going for their third win against Texas Tech, Fennelly and his squad only think about the next 40 minutes. 

“We’re not the type of team that looks past anyone,” Fennelly said. “We’ll be ready to go… If you beat them twice, you’ve ought to be able to beat them [a third time].”

There’s no looking past a last place Red Raiders squad, or no looking towards the potential success next season can bring. It’s about what happens at 8:30 p.m. in Oklahoma City. Luckily for the Cyclones, they’ll be right at home on the road against Big 12 foes where they won five games away from Hilton Coliseum. 

“Hopefully wearing the white uniforms won’t be bad luck,” Fennelly said, referencing his teams struggles of playing at home.