Cyclones up for 'monumental challenge' of UConn

AMES – It was fitting that one of the key members of the last Iowa State team to play – and beat – Connecticut was inside the team's locker room late Tuesday night at Hilton Coliseum.

Eleven years ago it was Monica Huelman's 3-pointer that sparked ISU's upset victory over top-seeded UConn in the Sweet Sixteen.

Tuesday's big shot came courtesy of junior Kelsey Bolte, whose three from the wing capped a second-half rally that gave the Cyclones (25-7) the lead for good in a 60-56 second-round NCAA tournament victory over No. 12 seed Green Bay.

More than a decade later, fourth-seeded ISU faces another round of 16 match-up with Connecticut, unbeaten in 74 straight games and the overwhelming favorite to repeat as champions.

The teams will play Sunday at 11 a.m. in Dayton, Ohio.

“I'm excited to play them. Why not?” said Coach Bill Fennelly, who has been to four Sweet 16s since that 1999 meeting with the Huskies. “It's the best team I've ever seen on the biggest stage you can have. Certainly it is a monumental challenge, but I think our players will be excited.”

This UConn team may ultimately be considered among the all-time greats.

The numbers sure support that.

The Huskies (35-0) have won their opening two NCAA tournament games by a combined 110 points.

Tuesday's 90-36 win over No. 8 seeded Temple was a sight to behold – especially in the first half. UConn shot nearly 78 percent, held the Owls to just five baskets and went into halftime with a 43-point lead.

“They are pretty good, huh?” quipped ISU point guard Alison Lacey. “It's hard not to hear about them every time you turn on ESPN… We are excited and happy to be in the Sweet 16. Why not go out playing the best and see where you rank against them.”

Lacey and her teammates didn't always look good Tuesday night against upset-minded Green Bay, but found a way to win.

The Phoenix jumped on ISU 10-0 in the early going and didn't let go of the lead until almost 9 minutes remained in the second half.

Bolte's bomb with 1:11 to play put ISU up 57-56 and Lacey's defensive play on Green Bay guard Celeste Hoewisch – forcing the point guard out of bounds on a baseline drive to the basket in the final seconds – helped the Cyclones escape.

Bolte added two free-throws with 3.2 seconds left that added some cushion.

She finished with a team-high 15 points on 5 of 18 shooting.

“A lot of kids miss a couple and then hide,” Fennelly said. “She kept guarding hard and made the one that mattered.”

Just like Huelman did back in 1999 in Cincinnati. ISU was a No. 4 seed in that game, too.

Can lightning strike twice for the Cyclones against the heavily-favored Huskies?

“We've done it before,” Fennelly said. “That'll be the story everyone will want to talk about. We are going to go play and see what happens. Our school is going to get a lot of attention. That's exciting.”