STANFORD, CALIFORNIA – Iowa State (21-11, 12-6 Big 12) continues to dance, downing Maryland (19-14, 9-9 Big Ten) in dramatic fashion, rallying back after being down by 20 to cement the seven-point victory of 93-86 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. It is the second-largest comeback in NCAA Women’s Championship history. Audi Crooks put up an all-time performance as she broke five Iowa State records on the night with 40 points at 90 percent.
The comeback stands one point behind the largest, where Texas A&M defeated Penn in 2017 in the first round. Iowa State fell behind by as much as 20 in the second quarter on account of Maryland shooting at 60 percent from the field including at 9-of-13 from deep, but Iowa State came alive in the second half outscoring Maryland 57-34. Crooks shot perfectly in the final two quarters with 10 shots, totaling 22 second-half points. Her final line stood at 40 points (18-of-20 shooting), 12 rebounds and two blocks.
Crooks downed the NCAA Championships single-game ISU point record (40), field goals made (18), field goal percentage (.900) along with the freshman single-game all-time record. Crooks also took down the freshman free throw record of 106 set by Jayme Olson in the 1994-95 season, now making the record 110. Crooks point total is the fourth-highest single-game total of any game in program history, just the fourth 40-point game for a Cyclone.
The freshman is the second player in women’s or men’s NCAA Championships history to score 40-plus points with at least 90 percent shooting, joining the company of Bill Walton who achieved the feat in the 1973 title game for UCLA. Crooks’ 40 points is the most by any player in her first career NCAA Tournament game dating back to 2000. The next most over that span is 39 by Elena Delle Donne on March 18, 2012. It is also the most by any freshman in any NCAA Tournament game since 2000.
The 40 points ties the Big 12 NCAA Championships record, matching Brittney Griner’s total set in the 2011 Regional Semifinal.
Emily Ryan totaled 18 points with 15 in the second half, also notching a double-double with 14 assists. It is her sixth double-figure assists game and second with 14 this season. Kelsey Joens (12) and Hannah Belanger (10) totaled four Cyclones with 10-plus points.
Maryland hit four early 3-pointers on its way to a double-digit lead of 18-8 four minutes into the contest. Out of the first media timeout, Ryan hit a 3-pointer to trim the deficit to five at 20-15. Both teams shot over 50 percent in the opening quarter, but Maryland shot at 70.6 percent to take a 33-20 lead into the second.
Crooks entered double figures to begin the quarter while Maryland followed to find a lead of 16. ISU would then take the next seven in a run including a steal and driving layup by Nyamer Diew to cut the lead to nine (38-29) with 4:49 on the clock. The Terrapins’ Allie Kubek remained perfect with her fifth 3-pointer in the midst of a 10-0 run, creating a 48-29 advantage with just under two minutes in the half.
Belanger hit a 3 in the final minute, but Maryland took a 16-point lead (52-36) into halftime.
Belanger drained a deep shot right as the second half kicked off, and Ryan hit another on the Cyclones next trip down the court. A Ryan layup then brought the game within nine at 55-46 with 7:52 on the clock. The Cyclones continued sinking shots beyond the arc as Joens netted the third of the frame at 6:17, making it 57-49 as Maryland called a timeout. The Cyclones kept pushing, tying it at 59 after Joens made it a run of 10 with a triple. Crooks then gave ISU a one-point edge at 64-63 to tie her career high of 29 points. The score stood at 66-66 headed into the final quarter.
Belanger netted her third shot from deep to put the Cyclones up by three with 8:50 left to play. Crooks crossed over the 30-point barrier while Ryan followed that up with a 3, her third, to make it a 76-72 Cyclone advantage. The run continued to seven straight as ISU led 78-72 at the midway point of the fourth. At 2:10 Crooks broke the NCAA Championships ISU single-game record with her 37th point as ISU went up 87-82. The Cyclones held on, sealing the historic comeback ahead by seven.
Top Performance
Audi Crooks had a career night with an all-time best 40 points and 12 rebounds, her eighth double-double. Crooks totaled her 31st double figure point game in a row. It was the freshman’s 17th 20-plus point game and fifth in a row, while crushing her previous career high of 29 points.
Notes
Iowa State women’s basketball’s all-time record moved to 848-664 (.561).
Head coach Bill Fennelly’s career record moved to 777-365 (.681). His Iowa State record is now 611-312 (.662) overall.
The Cyclones are 22-21 in the NCAA Tournament all-time. Coach Fennelly has been at the helm for all 22 tournament wins for Iowa State and has an NCAA Tournament career record of 24-24.
Iowa State recorded the second-largest comeback in NCAA Tournament history, rallying from down 20 to win. It is the second comeback of 16 points or more for the Cyclones (19, vs. No. 24 West Virginia, 74-64).
With Emily Ryan’s 3-pointer in the first quarter, Iowa State has now recorded a triple in an NCAA women’s basketball record 926 consecutive games.
Emily Ryan has recorded an assist in every collegiate game she has played in. Today, she finished with 14 assists, moving her career total to 778. She has posted five or more assists in a single game 17 times this season and 85 times in her career.
Her assists total today ties her season best and also moved her NCAA Championships career total to 53, the all-time best by a Cyclone in the fewest number of games (7).
Ryan’s 14 assists match the sixth-best all-time for Iowa State in a single game and owns Iowa State’s top NCAA Championships single-game record.
Audi Crooks recorded just the fourth 40-point performance in program history with 40 points on 18-of-20 shooting from the floor.
Crooks’ total matched the top points total by a Big 12 player in an NCAA Tournament game (Brittney Griner, 40, 2011).
Crooks also set Iowa State NCAA Tournament single-game records for points (40), made field goals (18) and field goal percentage (.900).
Crooks set the Iowa State freshman record for free throws made in a season with her first make from the line. Her season total of 107 broke Jayme Olson’s best of 106 in 1994-95.
With 18 field goals tonight, Audi Crooks broke Iowa State’s all-time single-season made field goals total with her 255th bucket of the year. She bested Bridget Carleton’s 254 makes in 2018-19.
Hannah Belanger has made a 3-pointer in 20-straight games. She finished her night with 10 points on three triples.
Up Next
The Cyclones move on to the second round of the NCAA Championship and will face the winner of the Stanford vs. Norfolk State game on Sunday, March 24. The time and network will be announced in the future.
