# 2008–09 Iowa State Cyclones women's basketball team

The 2008–09 Iowa State Cyclones women's basketball team represented Iowa State University in the 2008–09 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. A member of the Big 12 Conference in the North Division, Iowa State played home games at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. Under 14th year head coach Bill Fennelly, Iowa State finished the season 27–9, including an 11–5 record in Big 12 play for a third place tie in conference standings, with a no. 11 ranking in the final Coaches Poll. In the 2009 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, Iowa State advanced to the Elite Eight round for the second time in program history.

## Previous season

Iowa State finished the 2007–08 season 21–13, including 7–9 in Big 12 games for a seventh place tie in the Big 12 standings. In the 2008 Big 12 Tournament, Iowa State advanced to the semifinal round. Iowa State received an at-large bid to the 2008 NCAA tournament, in which they made the second round.

## Schedule and results

Sources:
| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition ||||||
| November 2, 2008* 2 p.m. | | Buena Vista | W 74–37 | 0–0 | Hilton Coliseum (N/A) Ames, IA |
| November 9, 2008* 2 p.m. | | Missouri Western State | W 80–55 | 0–0 | Hilton Coliseum (9,859) Ames, IA |
| Regular Season ||||||
| November 16, 2008* 1 p.m. | | UMKC | W 77–45 | 1–0 | Hilton Coliseum (10,103) Ames, IA |
| November 20, 2008* 7:05 p.m. | | at Northern Iowa | W 79–54 | 2–0 | McLeod Center (2,320) Cedar Falls, IA |
| November 23, 2008* 2:05 p.m. | | at Creighton | W 63–54 | 3–0 | Omaha Civic Auditorium (1,285) Omaha, NE |
| November 28, 2008* 3 p.m. | | vs. Prairie View A&M Waikiki Beach Marriott Classic | W 75–59 | 4–0 | Stan Sheriff Center (1,306) Honolulu, HI |
| November 29, 2008* 7:20 p.m. | | vs. No. 5 Stanford Waikiki Beach Marriott Classic | L 65–83 | 4–1 | Stan Sheriff Center (1,275) Honolulu, HI |
| November 30, 2008* 3 p.m. | | vs. San Diego State Waikiki Beach Marriott Classic | W 87–71 | 5–1 | Stan Sheriff Center (1,300) Honolulu, HI |
| December 7, 2008* 1:05 p.m., BTN | | at Iowa Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series | L 46–66 | 5–2 | Carver–Hawkeye Arena (5,560) Iowa City, IA |
| December 11, 2008* 7:06 p.m., Mediacom | | Drake | W 65–52 | 6–2 | Hilton Coliseum (10,232) Ames, IA |
| December 14, 2008* 2 p.m. | | Detroit | W 75–39 | 7–2 | Hilton Coliseum (9,876) Ames, IA |
| December 21, 2008* 2:30 p.m., Mediacom | | Minnesota | W 58–42 | 8–2 | Hilton Coliseum (9,675) Ames, IA |
| December 29, 2008* 7:30 p.m. | | Niagara Cyclone Challenge | W 89–39 | 9–2 | Hilton Coliseum (7,691) Ames, IA |
| December 30, 2008* 7:30 p.m. | | North Dakota Cyclone Challenge | W 76–46 | 10–2 | Hilton Coliseum (7,549) Ames, IA |
| January 3, 2009* 2:06 p.m., Mediacom | | Vanderbilt | W 55–51 | 11–2 | Hilton Coliseum (8,227) Ames, IA |
| January 7, 2009* 7 p.m. | | IPFW | W 84–57 | 12–2 | Hilton Coliseum (7,157) Ames, IA |
| January 10, 2009 3:05 p.m., FSNMW | | No. 21 Oklahoma State | W 63–55 | 13–2 (1–0) | Hilton Coliseum (8,036) Ames, IA |
| January 14, 2009 7 p.m. | | at No. 5 Baylor | L 57–68 | 13–3 (1–1) | Ferrell Center (6,183) Waco, TX |
| January 17, 2009 2 p.m. | | at No. 17 Kansas State | L 52–59 | 13–4 (1–2) | Bramlage Coliseum (6,279) Manhattan, KS |
| January 21, 2009 7 p.m. | | Missouri | W 65–42 | 14–4 (2–2) | Hilton Coliseum (10,260) Ames, IA |
| January 24, 2009 8:05 p.m. | | at Nebraska | W 62–48 | 15–4 (3–2) | Bob Devaney Sports Center (3,439) Lincoln, NE |
| January 31, 2009 7 p.m. | No. 22 | No. 14 Kansas State | W 60–50 | 16–4 (4–2) | Hilton Coliseum (11,656) Ames, IA |
| February 4, 2009 7 p.m. | No. 21 | No. 10 Texas A&M | W 67–50 | 17–4 (5–2) | Hilton Coliseum (10,278) Ames, IA |
| February 7, 2009 3 p.m., FSNRM | No. 21 | at Colorado | W 53–47 | 18–4 (6–2) | Coors Events Center (2,753) Boulder, CO |
| February 11, 2009 7:07 p.m. | No. 16 | at No. 2 Oklahoma | L 49–58 | 18–5 (6–3) | Lloyd Noble Center (7,253) Norman, OK |
| February 15, 2009 2:40 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 16 | No. 13 Texas | L 52–55 | 18–6 (6–4) | Hilton Coliseum (12,242) Ames, IA |
| February 18, 2009 7:07 p.m., FSNMW | No. 21 | Nebraska | W 61–38 | 19–6 (7–4) | Hilton Coliseum (10,225) Ames, IA |
| February 22, 2009 7:07 p.m., FSNMW | No. 21 | at Kansas | L 47–58 | 19–7 (7–5) | Allen Fieldhouse (7,069) Lawrence, KS |
| February 25, 2009 7:07 p.m. | No. 25 | Colorado | W 76–63 | 20–7 (8–5) | Hilton Coliseum (10,161) Ames, IA |
| February 28, 2009 8 p.m. | No. 25 | at Texas Tech | W 59–52 | 21–7 (9–5) | United Spirit Arena (7,412) Lubbock, TX |
| March 3, 2009 6:30 p.m. | No. 23 | at Missouri | W 62–47 | 22–7 (10–5) | Mizzou Arena (1,501) Columbia, MO |
| March 7, 2009 7 p.m. | No. 23 | Kansas | W 59–49 | 23–7 (11–5) | Hilton Coliseum (12,689) Ames, IA |
| Big 12 Tournament ||||||
| March 13, 2009 7:30 p.m., FSNMW | No. 17 (3) | vs. No. 25 (6) Texas Quarterfinals | W 59–55 | 24–7 (11–5) | Cox Convention Center (5,659) Oklahoma City, OK |
| March 14, 2009 2:30 p.m., FSNMW | No. 17 (3) | vs. No. 5 (2) Baylor Semifinals | L 57–63 | 24–8 (11–5) | Cox Convention Center (5,659) Oklahoma City, OK |
| NCAA tournament ||||||
| March 22, 2009 6 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 17 (4 B) | vs. No. (13 B) East Tennessee State First Round | W 85–53 | 25–8 (11–5) | E.A. Diddle Arena (N/A) Bowling Green, KY |
| March 24, 2009 8:30 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 17 (4 B) | vs. No. (12 B) Ball State Second Round | W 71–57 | 26–8 (11–5) | E.A. Diddle Arena (2,615) Bowling Green, KY |
| March 28, 2009 8:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 17 (4 B) | vs. No. (9 B) Michigan State Sweet 16 | W 69–68 | 27–8 (11–5) | Haas Pavilion (N/A) Berkeley, CA |
| March 30, 2009 8 p.m., ESPN | No. 17 (4 B) | vs. No. 2 (2 B) Stanford Elite Eight | L 53–74 | 27–9 (11–5) | Haas Pavilion (5,022) Berkeley, CA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. B=Berkeley Region. All times are in Central Time. ||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes т = Tied with team above or below :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Final |
| AP | RV | RV | 25$^T$ | RV | RV | — | — | — | RV | 20 | RV | 22 | 21 | 16 | 21 | 25 | 23 | 17 | Not released |
| Coaches | RV | 24$^T$ | 22$^T$ | 22 | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25$^T$ | 20 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 11 |

## Awards and honors

* Heather Ezell
** All-Big 12 Second Team
* Alison Lacey
** All-Big 12 Honorable Mention