While the Big 12 season is just three games in, Iowa State has struggled plenty in that short time.

If games were just 30 minutes long, Iowa State would be 2-1 in Big 12 play. The problem has been the fourth quarter: Iowa State has been outscored by a total of 32 points in three fourth quarters since Big 12 play started in late December.

The Cyclones (9-5, 0-3 Big 12) are in need of a win. Luckily for coach Bill Fennelly’s squad, Sunday’s 1 p.m. home game against Kansas (6-8, 0-3 Big 12) is winnable.

“You look across the country in any power league, a high visibility league like this one, every game is a battle,” Fennelly said.

A lot of things have gone wrong for Iowa State lately, and it can be hard to narrow it down to just one.

Does some blame go to the big three of Jadda Buckley, Seanna Johnson and Bridget Carleton, all who have seen their scoring average and field goal percentage drop since the start of conference play?

How about defensive rebounding, an area where Iowa State is getting beat by an average of seven per game?

“There’s a lot of things that you look at,” Fennelly said. “Do we get a little fatigued?

“We’re not getting to the free throw line at all, I think that’s maybe one of the biggest things. I think we’ve shot 26 free throws in three games and our opponents have shot like 61 free throws.”

That kind of free throw discrepancy would be a problem for any team, but it’s even more notable for Iowa State. The Cyclones are shooting 81.3 percent at the free throw line as a team, good for second best in the nation. More free throw attempts are a big part of Iowa State’s recipe for success.

Within the locker room, there seems to be a consensus: playing well for a full 40 minutes is what it will take to get that first conference win.

“We just have to finish games,” Johnson said. “We have got to finish the last media timeout of the fourth quarter. We’ve just got to stick together for 40 minutes, not 35 and not 30.”

While the game against Kansas may be a turning point for Iowa State if it can find a victory, Fennelly said he doesn’t view it as a must-win.

“I’m not a ‘must-win’ person,” Fennelly said. “My thing is, the only game you have to win is the game that you have to win to continue your season.

“If we win the game or lose the game, there’s still 14 to go.”