Iowa State leaning on experienced trio as Big 12 play begins on the road

AMES - Seanna Johnson summarized what she knows about the Big 12 in just six words.

'It's not going to be easy,” she said.

The Iowa State women's basketball team suffered just two losses in its first 11 games - to No. 6 Mississippi State and at Iowa - but Big 12 play will bring a unique challenge.

The Cyclones (9-2) have played just one road game all season and haven't played outside the borders of Iowa. Their first chartered road trip is to Oklahoma State on Thursday with a 7 p.m. tipoff scheduled.

'You rely on your experienced players,” said Coach Bill Fennelly. 'We have some kids on this team that have played on the road in this league. I think we have four or five that played at Oklahoma State last year when we lost in overtime. That's where it's got to start, where people understand how you go about game day.

'It's just one of those things where you hope you've prepared yourself enough to do what you have to do between the lines.”

Iowa State spent the bulk of its nonconference season relying on its experienced players, so the entirety of its Big 12 season likely won't be too different. Johnson has lived up to her Preseason All-Big 12 selection so far, averaging 18.6 points and 8.3 rebounds, but has gotten big help from a couple guards.

Jadda Buckley has added 15.6 points and 6.4 assists per game while Bridget Carleton chips in with 15.1 points and 4.7 rebounds. The three have combined to score 58.6 percent of Iowa State's per game scoring total.

Johnson's rebounding ability, just like in her first three years, has been a crutch Iowa State's smaller roster can usually lean on. She needs just 12 rebounds in the next four games to become the fastest player in Cyclones history to reach 900 career rebounds.

'I think it's just hustle for me,” Johnson said. 'I was in eighth grade and there was one time during basketball that my auntie told me rebounding doesn't take talent at all. I just always looked at that. I wasn't really good at basketball; I just did the little things that helped my team win.”

The Cowgirls (10-1) enter the game fresh off their first loss of the season - at a neutral site to No. 25 Oregon State - but with a definite size advantage. Kaylee Jensen, a 6-foot-4 forward, leads the league with 19.1 points per game and adds 10.2 rebounds per game.

'Anyone can win and there can be upsets at any time in the Big 12,” said forward Heather Bowe. 'We're one of the best conferences in the country and everyone is going to show up so we've got to be ready to go. It's going to be a challenge every single night.”

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