It won’t take long for the women’s basketball team

to gauge where it stands in the season’s early stages as

it faces off against nationally ranked in-state rival Iowa

State.

Head Coach Amy Stephens said her team will be

ready for the rivalry game against the No. 24 Cyclones

Saturday at 2:05 p.m. in the Knapp Center.

“Anytime we play ISU, UNI or Iowa it’s always

more special because it’s the Big Four,” Stephens said.

“There’s just something a little extra anytime you play

in a big game.”

Drake senior point guard Jordann Plummer said it

will be tough to take down the Cyclones.

“They have talent and deep postseason experience,”

Plummer said. “They’re expected to beat us.”

The Cyclones bring a powerful team to Des Moines

for Saturday’s big game, but Stephens is confident in

her team’s ability to come out on top even if Iowa State

is the favorite.

“We go into every game expecting to win,” Stephens

said.

Iowa State lost five seniors from last year’s NCAA

tournament-qualifying squad, but brings a tall and

talented freshman class led by Anna Prins. The 6-foot-

7-inch center was named last week’s Big 12 Conference

freshman of the week for putting up 20 points and

grabbing five rebounds against Florida Atlantic

University.

Even though the Bulldogs lack a player equal in size

to Prins, Stephens said one of the team’s keys to victory

will be limiting Prins’s impact.

“We’ll work on a number of techniques to disrupt

her game on Sunday,” Stephens said. “In the end, it’ll

take a complete team effort.”

Stephens said the Bulldogs and Cyclones are similar

teams with similar strengths. Both return key members

of last year’s squads that offer plenty of experience, but

both teams are young in the posts.

The Cyclones’ experience will come from guards

Kelsey Bolte and Alison Lacey. Last season, the two

combined for 21.6 points per game for an Iowa State

team that finished fourth in a tough Big 12 conference.

The Bulldogs will look to senior leaders, like

Plummer and forward Monique’ Jones to step up to

defeat the Cyclones.

Jones scored a career-high 20 points and eight

rebounds in the Bulldogs’ tough season opening-loss

last week against University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Plummer added a 22-point, nine-rebound effort.

More of the same will be needed from Jones

and Plummer if the Bulldogs are to take down the

Cyclones.

“It would be a great, great win for us,” Plummer

said. “Anytime you beat a powerhouse conference

team, it’s a great win and a confidence boost.”

Stephens said Iowa State won’t make it easy for

Drake’s leaders to give the team that needed confidence

boost.

“They take on the philosophy to shut down your top

two players,” Stephens said.

But the Bulldogs have a game plan of their own.

“Everything stops and starts with how we defend,

making things uncomfortable for Iowa State,” Stephens

said.

Both Plummer and Stephens said they agree that

playing the game at home helps the Bulldogs.

“Playing at home doesn’t ensure wins, but it’s

definitely a slight advantage,” Stephens said.

Stephens also placed emphasis on small details

and improvements that are important in a game like

Saturday’s.

“It’s not so much getting a big win against ISU,”

Stephens said. “It’s about the process of getting to the

win. Winning becomes a byproduct of how you do

things.”