A look back for the women

Past, present and future were all on display in Staurday's win over a$m.

First, the present. The Cyclones won the kind of game they often lose on the road: physical, with little flow, and often downright ugly. a$m, without any height, depend on speed and in your shirt (and often pulling your shirt) defense to keep the opponent from finding a rythym. That's a 180 from how ISU plays, and it the style of play they are most succeptible to, as has been noted in this blog before.

ISU might have lost that game had it been played in College Station. But it was in Ames, and they got the win. Good for them.

Now the future. Only 18 of ISU's 68 points against a$m came from players who return next year. On the year, 64% of the scoring comes from graduating seniors. Ouch.

While Lindsey Medders and Megan Ronhovde, who earn 20 points between them, are a formiddible pair, there are plenty of question marks going into next season.

And now the past. The CSJ staff went to lots of WBB games in the 80's and 90's before Bill arrived- now known as the BB period, as in "Before Bill"- and the experience was nothing like game day now. The most appropriate 80's costume for Saturday would have been someone dressed as 14,000 empty seats. I suspect the season attendance average then was less than 10% the 7230 the ladies are averaging this year. It was strickly friends, family, and those who had to be there. There were box scores that clearly added int he band and ushers to pad the numbers. It was that bad. And fortunately just a memory.

Peterclone