In each of Iowa State’s first two Big 12 conference games, the Cyclones had a chance to win.

Both times, Iowa State lost in the final minutes.

On the road at Oklahoma State, Iowa State led by three entering the final quarter. Against No. 16 Texas last Sunday, the Cyclones held a 60-59 lead with three minutes remaining.

That has been a theme all year for Iowa State, which also lost to then-No. 6 Mississippi State in overtime after the Cyclones held a double-digit lead most of the second half.

With a rough start to the Big 12 season, Iowa State (9-4, 0-2 Big 12) faces another difficult task as it travels to Lubbock, Texas, to play Texas Tech (9-4, 1-1 Big 12) at 6 p.m. Wednesday night.

It will also presumably be another start for Heather Bowe, who drew her first start against Texas and is averaging 10.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in Big 12 play.

“I thought Heather was really good [against Texas],” coach Bill Fennelly said. “She was solid, she gave us some offense, she competes defensively.”

Bowe’s move into the starting lineup puts guard TeeTee Starks on the bench for the start of the game.

“Bringing TeeTee off the bench, I thought that was the best game TeeTee played,” Fennelly said.

Bowe said she feels like she has worked hard to get into the starting lineup, but she also said she has confidence in her teammates while in a starting role.

“TeeTee was doing a good job in the starting lineup,” Bowe said, “so just whatever coach feels is best. I’m just trying to help the team.”

In a league that features dominant post players from the likes of Baylor, Texas, and Oklahoma State, having another post player in Bowe who can provide quality minutes is a huge bonus for the rest of the team.

“Playing in the Big 12, there’s a lot of big post players and sometimes we’re undersized,” forward Meredith Burkhall said. “They start two post players that are six feet and taller. Having another post player to start and be over six feet is going to be really helpful.”

The Lady Raiders started Big 12 play with a 20-point loss at Texas before pulling off a five-point victory at home against Oklahoma State. The challenge for Iowa State will be containing guard Recee Caldwell, who is averaging 22 points per game through two Big 12 games.

Possibly the biggest problem for Iowa State, aside from stopping Caldwell, will be Texas Tech’s home-court advantage. Texas Tech’s 9-4 record is a bit misleading, as the Raiders are 8-0 in Lubbock and 1-4 away from it.

While the Cyclones have not yet won a Big 12 game, they know what they need to do to win their first.

“It’s just gonna take hard work,” Burkhall said. “We just have to keep going at it and approach every day as a new day.”