Cyclone women missing injured Chelsea Poppens

Will she or won't she? As the Iowa State women's basketball world turns, that remains the thorny question.

She is team leader Chelsea Poppens. And it's unknown if she'll return after a three-game absence for today's 1 p.m. game against Fairfield at Hilton Coliseum.

“When you don't have your best player, it's hard,” Cyclone Coach Bill Fennelly said after a 50-42 loss Thursday at Iowa. “And this is really true - she's our best inside player, our best rebounder. But that's not an excuse.”

No. 22 ISU shot 26 percent against the Hawkeyes.

Hallie Christofferson scored in double figures for the seventh straight game with 10 points - all in the second half. She did grab eight of her game-high 13 rebounds before the break, though.

“We came out very sluggish,” an emotional Christofferson said.

Point guard Nikki Moody led the Cyclones with 12 points, five assists and six rebounds.

“(Without Poppens) we continue to give effort and trust in each other,” she said.

How long Poppens is out depends on the medical staff.

“We made the decision (not to play Poppens) at the shootaround,” Fennelly said Thursday. “She just didn't feel it.”

ISU (5-1) is 1-0 all-time against Fairfield. Moody didn't start against Iowa because of being late to a class.

“It's a coaching decision I regret,” Fennelly said.

Poppens remains “day to day” after suffering a concussion against Loyola Marymount.