ISU women face critical, unprecedented February slate

AMES - The Iowa State women's basketball team faces the biggest February during its current five-year NCAA Tournament run - in more ways than one.

The Cyclones (12-8, 3-6 Big 12 Conference) play nine conference games this month, one more than the recent high of eight in the 2008-09 season.

They seek to improve to 2-0 this month in Saturday's 1 p.m. game against Texas (13-8, 3-6) at Hilton Coliseum.

“February's a month where people talk about the kind of heart you have,” said ISU coach Bill Fennelly, whose team hopes to avenge a last-second two-point loss late last month at Austin. “We'll see.”

February results have typically been solid for Fennelly's Cyclones, especially during their five-season streak of making the tournament.

ISU has gone 26-11 in February games during that span - including Wednesday's 73-52 rout of Oklahoma State - and needs another surge to maintain hopes of pushing that streak to six.

“That's on our minds,” Cyclone guard Lauren Mansfield said. “Coach will texts us most days, just talking about how this is February. We've got to get these wins.”

The Cyclones have won three of their past four games, the lone loss coming in double-overtime last Saturday at No. 18 Texas A&M.

One reason for the revival: Lights-out shooting lately from Mansfield and ISU forward Hallie Christofferson.

Mansfield's 9 of 17 from 3-point range in that span.

So is Christofferson, who scored a game-high 20 points in the win over the Cowgirls.

“They're going to fall so you just have to keep shooting them,” Christofferson said Wednesday. “Once somebody hits I think everybody starts to get a little bit more momentum. Just keep it up.”

Being at home helps that needle stay on the positive side.

“It's like having a whole other person on the court,” Mansfield said.

The Cyclones play five of their final nine regular season games at Hilton Coliseum, where an NCAA second-best average of 9,632 fans have shown up this season to offer support.

Only No. 8 Tennessee has drawn consistently bigger crowds in 2011-12.

“These fans are still 100 percent behind us and that's what keeps us going,” said ISU guard/forward Brynn Williamson.