ISU-Iowa rivalry takes on a new dimension

IOWA CITY -- They've met 40 times. But never under these circumstances.

No. 16 Iowa State visits No. 19 Iowa in a women's basketball game at 7 p.m. Thursday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It will be the first time in series history that both teams are ranked when they collide.

But it's not just the numbers that fuel the buzz.

"I think if you need a reason for extra juice when you play Iowa, you don't know what state you're in or you don't know who you play for," said ISU Coach Bill Fennelly.

Said Iowa's Jaime Printy:

"As a Hawkeye, you always want to beat Iowa State."

They haven't done it a lot lately.

ISU has won four of the last five meetings, seven of the last 10. The Cyclones cruised, 85-66, last year at Ames.

"We got smoked last year," Printy said. "What I remember most is that Kelsey Bolte went off."

Bolte hit 8 of 13 shots from long distance in a 26-point game last year against the Hawks. She's back and leading the Cyclones (6-1) at 17.3 points per game this season.

A 6-foot-1 senior guard from Ida Grove, Bolte is one of five Iowans on the ISU roster.

"We've got to keep our eyes on her at all times," said Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder. "She has such a quick 3-point shot."

Iowa (8-1) has five in-staters as well, including starters Printy (Marion) and Kelly Krei (Iowa City).

This is the first of three games against "Big Four" schools for the Hawkeyes. It's the last of the series for ISU, which already has defeated Drake and Northern Iowa.

"We want to win the in-state games, and I'm not going to apologize for that," Fennelly said.

The home team has won eight of the last nine meetings in this rivalry, which bodes well for the Hawkeyes. So does the fact that Kachine Alexander will be on the floor, which she wasn't last year against the Cyclones.

Alexander averages 14.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, second on the team in scoring behind Printy (15.6 ppg). She'll probably draw the defensive duty on Bolte, as well.

"Kash is a great defender. Hopefully she can shut Bolte down," Printy said.

Both coaches agreed that the number of free throws Iowa shoots will be instrumental in the outcome.

The Hawkeyes shoot 80.4 percent from the line. Printy and Kamille Wahlin are a combined 47 of 49.

"Free throws are a part of our game plan," Bluder said. "We want to get to the line. We'll attempt to get there a lot, like we do every game."

Fennelly said, "They never miss free throws. We can't foul them. Their free throw numbers, they're video game-like."