AMES, Iowa – Former Iowa State women's basketball player Monica (Huelman) Zaruba, the first recruit under head coach Bill Fennelly , passed away on Saturday night. She was 40 years old.

"Our Iowa State women's basketball family was shocked to learn about the sudden passing of Monica Huelman Zaruba," Fennelly said. "Mo was our first recruit and started the Iowa State Way. She hit maybe the biggest shot in Cyclone women's basketball history when we upset UConn. Mo was loved by her teammates, coaches and fans. The sadness we feel is numbing and it hopefully will encourage us to all celebrate life and family just as Mo did. All of us are praying for her husband Terry and her parents."

Zaruba, a native of Vinton, Iowa, competed for Iowa State from 1996-2000, appearing in 125 games for the Cyclones. Zaruba amassed 513 career points, 436 rebounds and 98 assists and shot 50.2 percent from the floor during her time with the Cyclones.

One of Zaruba's most memorable moments as a Cyclone came in the Sweet 16 in 1999, when Iowa State faced top-seeded UConn. The then-junior netted a 3-pointer with 5:26 to play to put the Cyclones ahead of the Huskies for good. Iowa State would go on to win 64-58, sending the Cyclones to their first Elite Eight appearance in school history. She was also inducted into the Iowa High School Hall of Fame in 2012.

Zaruba graduated from Iowa State with a degree in horticulture in 2000. She most recently resided in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and worked for Country Landscapes.

Zaruba is survived by her husband, Terry.