Last February, Iowa State rolled into Austin, Texas, in the middle of a five-game winning streak that propelled the Cyclones into the NCAA Tournament.

The Cyclones used big games from senior Seanna Johnson and then-sophomore Bridget Carleton to pull a 70-66 upset over the then-and now-No. 6 Longhorns and cement the Cyclones’ NCAA tournament credentials.

This year, things are a little different. The Cyclones head to Austin with a 9-11 record and just two wins in their past eight games. The NCAA Tournament is a long ways away, and last year’s veteran leaders Seanna Johnson and point guard Jadda Buckley are not walking through that door.

However, two things haven’t changed: Texas is still very good at basketball, and so is Carleton.

Iowa State visits the Longhorns just three days after Carleton had a career night and led the Cyclones to a 78-69 victory over No. 19 Oklahoma State. Carleton’s mammoth 39-point game coincided with one of Iowa State’s best offensive performances this season. The Cyclones shot 45.2 percent from the field and hit 19-of-35 2-point shots.

The Cyclones now run into one of the best defenses in the country. No. 6 Texas gives up only 64.1 points per game and holds its opponents to 31.4 percent shooting from 3-point range, a key area of the Cyclones’ offense.

Fennelly is wary of the pressure Texas puts on opposing offenses.

“Texas can really get up and guard you,” Fennelly said. “We’re gonna have to be really strong with the ball.

“The live ball turnovers always kill you against them.”

Iowa State had a very safe game with the ball on Wednesday, only turning it over 10 times against the Cowgirls, the fifth time the Cyclones have had 10 or fewer turnovers in a contest all season. The Longhorns force almost 20 turnovers per contest, leading to 21.8 points off turnovers.

The Cyclones will need to keep the turnovers down and stop the Longhorns from getting out into transition on Saturday.

As for Carleton, Fennelly isn’t counting on another 39-point game, but keeping her in a positive rhythm on offense is crucial to the Cyclones’ chances. Against Big 12 opposition, two of the Cyclones’ three wins have come when Carleton has scored 30 points or more. 

Not only do the Longhorns present offensive challenges for Iowa State, the Cyclones face a tough task on the defensive end as well.

After holding Oklahoma State’s star center Kaylee Jensen to just eight shots and stifling the Cowgirls with a matchup zone defense, the Cyclones will now face the Longhorns and their multi-faceted attack.

Senior guard Emily Durr says the team is confident they can another prolific offense.

“There’s just kind of a fire in us,” Durr said.

The Longhorns’ top three scorers this season are guards, and the best one has been senior Ariel Atkins. Atkins is second on the team in scoring at 14.8 points per game on 53.3 percent shooting from the field. When the guards are struggling, though, the Longhorns’ post players tend to pick up the slack.

Only one Texas post is averaging over 10 points a game (junior center Jatarie White at 10.6), but the Longhorns’ interior height causes routine problems for opposing defenses, especially on the offensive glass. Texas averages 16.8 offensive rebounds per game, and has 319 on the season. Iowa State has only 233.

Fennelly said the Cyclones could find themselves in foul trouble if they allow the Longhorns to get extra possessions.

“They really go after the ball,” Fennelly said. “You have to go in with a defensive rebounding mindset.”

Just three days after their best performance of the season, the Cyclones will to play near their best once again in order to pull off another top-25 upset. However, the Cyclones’ recent history in Austin suggests that a win might not be as far-fetched as it seems on paper.