LAWRENCE, KANSAS – Iowa State (12-6, 6-2 Big 12) came up just short in the two-point loss of 60-58 to Kansas (10-9, 3-5 Big 12) Wednesday night. In a game of 24 lead changes and 11 ties, the contest wasn’t over until the final buzzer sounded.
It was a tight matchup throughout, with just five points being the largest lead of the game. After a tie of 23-23 at halftime, Iowa State held the lead as late as 2:15 in the fourth, but KU went back up and held it. Audi Crooks had a career night while keeping her double-figure scoring streak alive, extending it to 17 games with an all-time best 25 points. It’s the rookie’s seventh 20-point game.
Addy Brown was her usual self, dialing in 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Jalynn Bristow had the next highest total with eight, all in a row in the second quarter.
Kansas started fast with an early 3-pointer while ISU got its first field goal at 7:29, and both teams hit a cold shooting streak to follow. The score of 3-2 held until Hannah Belanger ended the drought with a shot beyond the arc to put ISU up midway through the first. The Jayhawks retook the lead at 8-7 and would go up by two (10-8) at the end of the quarter.
It remained a one-possession game at 15-13 with Kansas holding the narrow edge, while Bristow put in the layup assisted by Brown to tie it at 5:25 in the second. Back-and-forth lead changes followed, with Bristow putting the Cyclones ahead with 3-pointers on two straight possessions. KU took the lead back at 23-21 with 2:26 left in the half, and in the final minute another Brown lay up would knot the score at 23s.
The home team began the half building a four-point lead, but ISU battled back on a 6-0 run of a pair of buckets by Brown and another by Crooks to lead 33-31. The Cyclones then found a lead of four (38-34) on a Kelsey Joens deep shot, but Kansas answered once again tying it. With KU up by one at 41-40, the contest was sent to the fourth.
After two early Crooks buckets in the final frame, the freshman then drew the foul and made a free throw to make it 45-45 with 7:34 left to play while tallying her 20th point. Nyamer Diew made for yet another lead change with a three-point play after a tough layup at the 6:34 mark. The lead change total hit 20 as KU went up 52-51, and the two sides continued to add to the total not missing a shot on their respective trips down the court as the game clock hit two minutes. With KU up 56-55 and less than a minute remaining, ISU was forced to foul KU with the Jayhawks following with a pair of free throws. At :12, Iowa State missed the game-tying 3-pointer while KU made two more free throws to stretch the lead. Belanger would hit a triple with one second left, but the Cyclones fell just short 60-58.
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Notes
Iowa State women’s basketball’s all-time record dropped to 839-660 (.560) and 326-348 (.484) all-time in conference games.
Head coach Bill Fennelly’s career record moved to 768-360 (.681). His Iowa State record moves to 602-307 (.663) overall.
Iowa State’s all-time record against Kansas moves to 49-49 and 28-17 in Lawrence.
With Hannah Belanger’s 3-pointer in the first quarter, Iowa State has now recorded a triple in an NCAA women’s basketball record 912 consecutive games.
ISU has outrebounded every opponent this season, grabbing 36 boards tonight compared to Kansas’ 33.
Audi Crooks recorded her seventh career 20-point game with a new career- and game-high 25 points. Crooks has now scored 306 career points.
With 10 field goals tonight, Crooks has made 122 field goals this season. Crooks is nearing the top 5 for field goals by a freshman in a season, the fifth-best mark is Angie Welle’s 134 makes in 1998-99.
Passing out six assists tonight, Emily Ryan has recorded 654 assists throughout her career. The mark is third most in Iowa State program history.
With four steals tonight, Ryan also gained sole possession of the 10th-best mark for steals in a career by a Cyclone with 149.
Addy Brown owns the fifth-best single-season assists mark by a freshman with 95.
Nyamer Diew made her 200th career field goal with a made layup through contact in the fourth quarter.
Up Next
Iowa State now heads to No. 24 West Virginia for a Jan. 27 matchup at 1 p.m. The game will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.