AMES – Audi Crooks poured in a season-high 36 points and Emily Ryan narrowly missed a triple-double as Iowa State (21-11, 12-6 Big 12) defeated No. 14 Kansas State (25-6, 13-5), 85-63, Sunday afternoon.
In what was likely her final game at Hilton Coliseum, Ryan finished with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists.
But at the end of the day it was Crooks’ show. The sophomore finished 14-for-18 from the field and made 8-of-11 free throws to finish with her 10th double-double of the season, recording 36 points and 10 rebounds.
Crooks scored 26 of her 36 points after the halftime break.
The Cyclone defense held K-State to just 33.3 percent shooting. ISU, on the other hand, shot 53.6 percent from the floor and held a 47-31 edge on the glass.
How It Happened
Iowa State got out to an 18-16 lead at the end of the first quarter and the second was more of the same. KSU took their first lead of the game with 7:15 left in the second quarter, going up 22-21, but Sydney Harris responded on the next possession with a 3-pointer and the Cyclones went into the break leading 35-34 on a pair of Arianna Jackson free throws.
The third quarter was the Audi Crooks’ show as the sophomore scored 14 points and the Cyclones used a 12-0 run late in the period to lead 62-49 after three.
The Cyclones fended off the Wildcats in the fourth quarter, extending the lead to the final margin of 22 points as it rolled to its first Top-25 win of the season.
Top Performers
Crooks and Ryan led three in double figures for the Cyclones as Kelsey Joens added 10 points, making 3-of-4 three pointers. Addy Brown and Harris tallied nine and eight points, respectively, as ISU’s starters 74 of the team’s 85 points.
K-State was led by Temira Poindexter, who finished with 17 points.
Up Next
Iowa State heads to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championships in Kansas City as the seven-seed. The Cyclones will face the winner of Cincinnati and Arizona State on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
Notes
Iowa State’s women’s basketball all-time record moves to 888-676 (.567) and 345-358 (.490) all-time in conference play.
Head coach Bill Fennelly’s Iowa State record moves to 632-323 (.661) and his career record moves to 798-376 (.679). He is 297-210 (.585) in conference games at ISU.
The Cyclones passed out 22 assists today, marking the fourth time in program history to record 600 or more assists in a single season, all coming under head coach Bill Fennelly. ISU has passed out 602 dimes while the program record sits at 632 (2000-01).
Audi Crooks’ season-high 36 points marked the 63rd straight game of her career scoring in double figures and her seventh game with 30-plus points.
She has totaled 1,348 career points, the 19th all-time best total by an Iowa State women’s basketball player.
Crooks also claimed the second-best total by a Cyclone sophomore for made free throws with her first make of the night. Her season total moved to 143 makes at the line after finishing 8-of-11 today.
Crooks finished with her 10th double-double of the season with 10 rebounds.
Emily Ryan has played in 149 career games, the second-best all-time mark by a Cyclone behind Ashley Joens’ best 158 games.
She passed out 10 assists tonight, taking the ninth all-time best assists mark by an NCAA Division I women’s basketball player. Her career total sits at 968 dimes.
Kelsey Joens scored her 150th point of the season while tallying her 100th career field goal and 75th career 3-pointer.
