No. 18 Iowa State hopes to stay hot in first-place Big 12 clash with No. 14 Oklahoma

AMES — Bill Fennelly saw confidence shine through the potential confusion. He witnessed resilience in response to a devastating loss.

The only thing Iowa State’s veteran head coach didn’t see in his No. 18 Cyclones’ rousing comeback three weeks ago at 14th-ranked Oklahoma was a win at the end.

Now, it’s time for the rematch and while Fennelly doesn’t put stock in so-called moral victories, the way his team played against the Sooners in the first meeting after star 6-foot-6 forward Stephanie Soares went down early with a season-ending ACL injury proved to be encouraging — and a harbinger of what would come.

“I think it showed them and we’ve hopefully kind of built on that since that game, that this is what we have now, and this is who’s gonna play, and this is what we’re capable of doing, so let’s go play,” said Fennelly, whose Cyclones (14-4, 6-2) face the Sooners (16-3, 6-2) at 3 p.m. Saturday at Hilton Coliseum (ESPN+). “I think we’ve played pretty well since then.”

ISU has won four of five games since that setback in Norman and is locked in a three-way first-place tie with Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12 standings.

The challenge posed by the Sooners hinges on fast-paced offensive play. Oklahoma leads the Big 12 and is tied for fourth nationally in points per game at 85.8. The Sooners nearly matched their average offensive output in the first meeting, hanging on for an 82-79 win at home. Cyclones all-time leading scorer Ashley Joens scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to turn an 11-point deficit into a 79-78 lead on her layup with 14 seconds left. Oklahoma responded with a quick layup, however, and sealed the win with a pair of free throws coupled with a last-second stop.

“They’ll go on a run, we’ll go on a run, but you just have to keep playing,” said Joens, who has averaged 14.5 rebounds in ISU’s past two wins. “You’ll take a hit, but like coach Fennelly always says, you can’t just back down. You’ve got to keep fighting and keep competing.”

Joens has scored 27 or more points in three of her past five games against the Sooners. She’ll face her sister and former Cyclone teammate, Aubrey, who transferred to Oklahoma and can be a spark off the bench.

But the bulk of the Sooners’ offensive output comes from guard Ana Llanusa and forward Madi Williams, who combine to average 35 points per game.

“I think the biggest thing for us is our offense has to help us,” Fennelly said. “A lot of times that’s the best way to manage your transition defense, your spacing, things like that.”

The Cyclones lead the Big 12 in scoring defense at 59.2 points per game, but ironically draw confidence from the loss in which they gave up a season-high 82 points to the Sooners. That’s when ISU’s 2022-23 blueprint for success dramatically changed and a new one emerged that has produced positive results.

“We want to be competitively connected and that was a great sign,” Fennelly said of the nature of the loss at Oklahoma. “Disappointing to lose, but exciting to see how they handled it.”

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