IOWA CITY – Two teams that shot airballs, missed layups and clanked free throws over and over yet are somehow ranked among the top teams in America played a basketball game Wednesday night in a nearly-sold-out arena on a court named after a crappy internet service.
#21/20 (9-1) Iowa defeated #18/19 (8-3) Iowa State, 75-69, on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. This game was part of the mostly-ignored Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series.
Iowa State led for nearly 33 minutes and had two 10-0 runs but the defending national runner-up Hawkeyes took control down the stretch to secure the victory.
Audi Crooks was among the lone bright spots, leading the game with 31 points, her third career game with 30 or more, while putting up her third straight double-double with 10 rebounds. However, she shot 3-10 from the free throw line.
There is your game. Addy Brown also scored in double figures with 13 while netting a trio of triples.
Iowa State won the jump ball while Crooks followed with the mid-range jumper to put ISU up first. Iowa tied it up, but Brown had the answer with a triple. That triple sparked a run of 10 as Crooks hit two buckets and Brown capped it with another 3 to bring ISU ahead 12-2. Brown could not be stopped, draining her third 3-pointer at the 3:44 mark as Iowa State held the 19-11 advantage. Iowa came back within three at 20-17 with just over a minute on the clock and that score would hold at the end of one.
Crooks entered double figures to open second quarter scoring, but ISU turnovers would lead Iowa to tie it up at 22s. After another tie at 25-25, Sydney Harris quieted the home crowd knocking down a triple. Iowa followed with one of their own, but on Iowa State’s next trip down the court Emily Ryan put in the layup to keep the Cyclones ahead at 30-28 into the media timeout. The battle continued as the Hawkeyes took their first lead at 36-34 at 1:40, but Crooks quickly tied it back up on a layup. With 38 seconds remaining, Kelsey Joens drained a crucial shot from deep to give the Cyclones a 39-36 lead at the half.
Crooks continued what she started making a three-point play, and the sophomore put in two layups after as ISU remained with the lead, 46-40, with the clock at 6:57 in the third. Iowa kept within two at the media timeout, but the Cyclones held the momentum stretching an eight-point advantage, 54-46, with the aid of triples by Lily Hansford and Aili Tanke causing an Iowa timeout at 2:21. As Iowa again fell behind by 10, the Hawkeyes clawed back to make it a one-possession game entering the fourth at 56-53.
After Crooks drew a foul after excessive contact, Ryan stepped to the line to send in a free throw, her 25th straight, as Iowa State led by one at 57-56. The game remained tight as Iowa flipped the lead at 62-61 with 4:16 to play. The home team kept their run alive making nine straight to go up by six (67-61). A layup by Brown put an end to the run with just under two minutes remaining, but the Cyclones could not come back as Iowa took the win.
Iowa State was 6-16 from the free throw line. Iowa was 15-25 and 8-25 from three-point area.
Iowa has won nine in a row against the Cyclones inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena dating back to Dec. 7, 2008.
The Hawkeyes have beaten Iowa State in eight out of the last nine matchups.
Iowa forced Iowa State into a season-high 21 turnovers.
Lucy Olsen has registered a new Hawkeye-best with 25 points (7-9 FT) and five assists.
Olsen has recorded at least 14 points and four or more assists in all eight career games with Iowa.
Olsen netted 20+ points for the third time in her Hawkeye career.
Hannah Stuelke was perfect from the field for the first time this year going 4-of-4.
Stuelke finished with 13 points and nine rebounds.
Sydney Affolter recorded a season-high in points and 3-pointers made.
Affolter finished with 16 points and six rebounds.
The Hawkeyes edged the Cyclones in points off turnovers, 24-6.
Iowa now leads the all-time series against ISU, 32-23.
With the win tonight, Iowa avoided dropping back-to-back games. The Hawkeyes have not dropped back-to-back games since Nov. 27, 2022 and Dec. 1, 2022. Iowa lost to Tennessee, 78-68, on December 7 in the 2024 Shark Beauty Women’s Champions Classic inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Iowa blew a late lead in that game.
At Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the Hawkeyes have played in front of 26 consecutive sellouts, the longest streak nationally.
Since 2020, Iowa is 118-31 at home.
Iowa is 104-157 all-time against AP Top 25 foes.
The nationally ranked Hawkeyes are set to travel to No. 17/19 (9-0) Michigan State on Sunday, Dec. 15. Tip-off inside the Breslin Center is set for 11 a.m. (CT) and will broadcast on BTN and the Hawkeye Radio Network.
No. 18 Iowa State returns home to host Eastern Illinois this Sunday, Dec. 15 at 5 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
