The Iowa State women are at home on Wednesday night to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Cyclones are 4-1 while the Hawkeyes enter the game with a 5-2 record. ISU coach Bill Fennelly says Iowa is very experienced and won’t be intimidated going on the road. Fennelly says the Hawkeyes work very hard on defense and have improved that game.
The Cyclones will need to work hard on the boards to overcome Iowa’s size advantage. Fennelly says he hasn’t seen many women get rebounds above the rim, and it’s all about positioning and the fundamentals of the game.
Fennelly says the in-state games are fun because they mean so much to the fans. He says it’s a week were women’s basketball gets a little more attention and the attention is good for both schools. Fennelly says they’ve played a lot of exciting games with Iowa, and he hopes this is another one.
The Hawkeyes have already beaten Drake and UNI and with a win over the Panthers would lock up the mythical state crown. Iowa coach Lisa Bluder says it’s something the seniors would love the opportunity to do. Bluder says this is not just another non-conference game, as she says anyone who says they don’t get more excited about this game is lying. Bluder says ISU has an exciting atmosphere they’ve created and play in every single night.
Bluder would like to see the Hawks get the ball inside and take advantage of their size. She says the offense is not flowing as much as she thought it would yet. Bluder says they’re not making as good a passing decisions and reads as she would like them to at this time.