Iowa State Soars to Victory Over Kansas with a 78-64 Triumph!

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State (10-5, 1-1 Big 12) triumphed over Kansas (10-3, 0-2 Big 12), 78-64 on Wednesday afternoon. The Cyclones achieved a shooting accuracy of 55 percent from the floor and 42 percent from beyond the arc in this victory.

Audi Crooks excelled again, contributing 33 points to the win while grabbing seven rebounds. Emily Ryan added 19 points and provided six assists for the Cyclones. Addy Brown achieved a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards.

How it Unfolded

Crooks initiated the scoring with the first four points of the game, giving the Cyclones an early 4-0 lead. Following a Kansas score, Emily Ryan tallied her initial points with a layup to extend the Cyclones’ lead to 6-2. Crooks added six more points, reaching double digits with 3:25 remaining in the opening quarter and securing a 13-8 lead for ISU. By the end of the first quarter, Crooks had scored 16 of the Cyclones’ 19 points, allowing them to carry a six-point advantage into the second period.

Ryan was the first to score for the Cyclones in the second quarter, sinking a three-pointer to elevate the lead to 22-15 with 8:30 remaining in the period. Addy Brown then followed with her own three-pointer, pushing the advantage into double digits. Sydney Harris registered her first three-pointer with four minutes to go before Kansas narrowed the gap to six. However, a defining play from Alisa Williams allowed the Cyclones to regain a nine-point lead. The Jayhawks responded yet again, narrowing the score to just 36-33 as they approached halftime.

Brown commenced the second half with a layup that allowed the Cyclones to acquire a five-point advantage. Kansas then managed to score five straight points, tying the game, before a Crooks and-one restored the Cyclones’ lead. The following minutes showcased a back-and-forth battle, with the Cyclones taking a 50-44 lead into the media timeout of the third quarter. Crooks netted the next six points for the Cyclones, and ISU carried a 56-48 lead into the last quarter.

Iowa State scored the opening six points of the final quarter, prompting a Jayhawk timeout with 8:27 left to play. The Cyclones maintained their lead, extending it to 68-55 as they reached the final media timeout. Crooks surpassed the 30-point milestone with 2:40 remaining, converting two free throws and pushing the Cyclones ahead by 20. Iowa State concluded the match with a final score of 78-64.

Star Player

Audi Crooks amassed 33 points with an impressive shooting percentage exceeding 72 percent. Crooks also contributed seven rebounds and one assist in her 31 minutes of play.

Upcoming Match

Iowa State will face off against Utah at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. The match will air on ESPN2.

Notes

• The all-time record for Iowa State’s women’s basketball now stands at 877-671 (.567), and the all-time conference play record reaches 334-353 (.486).
• Head coach Bill Fennelly‘s record at Iowa State advances to 621-318 (.661), and his overall coaching record is now 787-371 (.680). He holds a conference record of 286-205 (.582) at ISU.
• The Cyclones have accomplished the feat of making at least one 3-point field goal in a NCAA women’s record 942 consecutive games, concluding tonight’s game with six triples. Across this streak, ISU has registered 7,633 three-pointers and has finished with 10 or more three-pointers in a contest 288 times.
• Emily Ryan ascended to the rank of Iowa State’s 15^th all-time leading scorer with her 1,418^th point. Ryan concluded the game with 19 points today, marking her season high and the 68^th instance in her career of scoring in double figures. Her career total has increased to 1,437 points.
• Emily Ryan is now positioned 19^th in all-time assists among NCAA Division I players. This evening, she recorded six assists, bringing her career total to 884.
• Ryan’s assist total for today has also pushed her season figure over 100. She has achieved a minimum of 165 assists in each of her prior four seasons.
• Emily Ryan has participated in 134 career games, making her the fifth in all-time appearances by a Cyclone.
• Audi Crooks’ team-leading 33 points characterized her fourth game of the season with 30 or more points and marked the 26th time she has scored over 20 points in her career. Crooks has achieved 47 consecutive games with 10 or more points.
• With her 13^th field goal of the day, Crooks reached her 400^th career make.
• Addy Brown reached the milestone of her 200^th point of the season. Brown has amassed 637 points throughout her career.
• Brown also secured her fifth double-double of the season, concluding the game with 10 points and 11 rebounds.