Iowa State women ready for ‘new season’

AMES — Iowa State women's basketball coach Bill Fennelly has always preached the importance of starting what you finish. His team has taken that to heart.

The Cyclones enter the Big 12 tournament as the eighth seed and will play Texas Tech in the opening round at 6 p.m. Friday with a fresh mind-set after their first losing season since 2002-03. Players know the finality of tournament play, but also recognize the opportunity it provides.

'This is really our last shot to go out strong and finish strong,' said senior Nicole 'Kidd' Blaskowsky. 'That's always been the key factor and the way we approach things and the way Coach (Fennelly) stresses it to us. I think having that in the back of our heads and just knowing we're there for each other.'

Iowa State would need a Big 12 tournament championship to earn its 10th straight NCAA tournament berth, but has a chance to start the conference tournament on the right note. The Cyclones (13-16, 5-13) handled the Lady Raiders (12-17, 3-15), 77-48, on Feb. 17 in Ames and found the missing piece to their shooting woes — at least temporarily.

Should the Cyclones get past Texas Tech, they would face regular-season champion Baylor on Saturday.

'We've just got to believe in each other,' said junior Seanna Johnson. 'Our season hasn't been the greatest, but it's a new season. We're all 0-0 going into the Big 12 tourney so I just think if we all stay poised and all stay focused, good things will happen.'

As tough of a season as it's been for Iowa State, Johnson has been a spark individually and was named an all-Big 12 first team selection by league coaches this week. Jadda Buckley and Bridget Carleton were honorable mention selections while Carleton was one of two unanimous picks for the all-freshman team.

Johnson, who wasn't an all-Big 12 preseason selection, is the only player in the nation who averages more than 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists per game. Iowa State has the fifth-youngest starting lineup in the country and Johnson's versatility is a quality the Cyclones can build around for next season.

'I think her versatility has just expanded her game and hopefully with one more year to go, her ball handling will improve a little bit more,' Fennelly said. 'We've got to get her to shoot the 3 a little more to really stretch out the defense. If she can do that, she'll go from being very, very difficult to cover to almost impossible at times if we can surround her with some help.'

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