NOTRE DAME, INDIANA – Iowa State (23-12, 12-6 Big 12) fell to Michigan (23-10, 11-7 Big Ten) by a score of 80-74 Friday morning after nearly pulling off the upset in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.
After falling behind in the first quarter, No. 11-seed ISU used a 10-0 run in the second while Audi Crooks put up 11 points in the frame alone to enter halftime with a five-point edge. No. 6-seed Michigan took the lead to start the fourth quarter while Iowa State kept it a one-possession game with just over a minute remaining, but ISU was unable to get back the lead to advance on.
Crooks had a game-high-tying 28 points for her sixth-straight 20-plus game and extended her school record to 67 straight games in double figures. Arianna Jackson made four 3-pointers for her 12 points as two Cyclones score in double figures.
In Emily Ryan’s final game as a Cyclone, the senior had five assists to end her career with 993, an Iowa State and Big 12 record. Ryan’s final line stood at seven points, five assists three rebounds and two blocks.
Addy Brown was magnificent totaling 10 assists, tied for the fourth most in NCAA Tournament program history, while adding nine rebounds and eight points.
Kelsey Joens hit a 3 at the 8:31 mark to tie up the game, while Sydney Harris hit another with just over six minutes to play in the first quarter bringing the score to 7-6, Michigan. As the first drew to a close, a jumper by Alisa Williams made it a three-point game (16-13), but Michigan went on to close the quarter up 19-13.
With Michigan leading 21-15, Aili Tanke sent in a triple with 8:21 on the clock. Michigan then hit one of their own, but Jackson answered with another to make it 24-21. Midway through the second Crooks muscled in back-to-back buckets to draw within one at 26-25. Right out of a timeout at 3:51, Brown gave ISU its first lead (27-26) on a layup, and made another on the Cyclones’ next trip down the court to tie it at 29s. That bucket sparked a run of 10, including another Tanke 3 and five points by Crooks, and ISU took a 37-32 lead into the break.
A shot beyond the arc and another Crooks jumper kicked off second half scoring to bring ISU’s lead to double digits (42-32). Michigan followed with an 8-0, but a Ryan triple halted the run as ISU remained ahead by five. As Michigan drew within four, Jackson netted her third deep shot of the game with 1:24 to play in the third. The Wolverines then had back-to-back triples to make it 54-53, but with four seconds on the clock as Ryan threw the ball inbounds, the senior ended the third with a buzzer-beating jumper as ISU led 56-53.
Michigan flipped the lead to start the final frame at 58-56, and with the clock at 7:03 Iowa State called a timeout with the Wolverines up 62-57. Harris’ second 3 brought ISU within four, and Jackson nailed her fourth 3 right after as the score was brought to 66-65. Michigan would continue to send in triples, totaling its 12th, going ahead 75-69 as ISU called a timeout with 3:35 to go. As Michigan remained up by six, Ryan passed the ball to Brown who delivered the 3 to bring the score to 77-74 at 1:22, but Michigan took over from there to win the game 80-74.
Top Performers
Audi Crooks went out to her 24th 20-point game of the season and 41st of her career totaling 28 points shooting at 13-of-18 from the field, while having seven rebounds, four assists and a block. Arianna Jackson came one off her career with four 3-point field goals and added three rebounds and a block. Addy Brown again came close to a triple-double with 10 assists, nine rebounds and eight points.
Notes
Iowa State’s women’s basketball all-time record moves to 890-678 (.568) and 23-23 (.500) in NCAA Tournament games.
Head coach Bill Fennelly’s Iowa State record moves to 634-325 (.661) and his career record moves to 800-378 (.679).
With 28 points, Audi Crooks scored in double figures for the 67th straight game and her 24th 20-point game of the season.
With her eighth point of the day, Crooks scored her 800th point of the season, becoming the first NCAA DI women’s basketball player to score 800 points this season.
It marks the third time out of four NCAA tournament games where she has scored 25+ points
With five assists today, Emily Ryan outright holds the all-time Big 12 record for assists with 993 dimes.
Emily Ryan finishes her career as the all-time leader at Iowa State for assists ( and free throw percentage (.885) as well as top five marks in steals (2nd, 228) and blocks (5th, 109).
Arianna Jackson pulled down her 100th rebound of the season with her second board of the day.
Kelsey Joens scored her 350th career point with her first triple of the day.
