Fennelly looking for more 'Pop'

AMES - Iowa State women's basketball coach Bill Fennelly is looking for a little more Pop.

Actually a lot of it - and not just from the Cyclones' post player, Chelsea Poppens, who goes by that nickname.

“Numbers aren't always the tell-all, but there are some numbers there that are not very good,” Fennelly said of his team's statistics entering Wednesday's 7 p.m. Big 12 opener at Oklahoma. “Field goal percentage, 3-point percentage. Overall, I think we've not turned the ball over a lot, but we've got to get some more scoring on a consistent basis besides Pop.”

Other than Poppens (14.8 points, 56 percent from the field), none of ISU's projected starters against the run-and-gun Sooners shoot 50 percent or better. Forward Hallie Christofferson is the only other Cyclone scoring in double figures, at 11.5 points per game.

“I think we'll find out a lot about our team, just with handling the pressure,” guard Lauren Mansfield said of Big 12 play. “More teams play pressure defense. They'll get in the lanes. They're very athletic.”

Mansfield's settling into her shot after a rough start. She hit just three of her first 21 3-point attempts but has made 10 of her last 23.

“I think that goes along with getting in the gym and stuff,” Mansfield said. “We're feeling more comfortable out there and getting more open shots as well.”

Freshman guard/forward Brynn Williamson will make her first career start Wednesday. She'll replace Jess Schroll - who intends to transfer - in the lineup.

“We'd been playing Brynn a lot more, so it doesn't change it a whole lot,” Fennelly said.

Williamson has emerged as ISU's best 3-point shooter, draining 36.7 percent (22 of 60). She'll likely have to be even more prolific against the Sooners, who rank among the top 20 nationally in scoring (76.7 points per game).

“I think we'll still guard hard and compete on the backboards as best we can, but you've got to score to win,” Fennelly said. “And there are some teams in this league like Oklahoma