AMES – Iowa State (15-5, 3-5 Big 12) returned to the win column with a 93-68 win over Cincinnati (7-13, 2-6 Big 12) Wednesday night led by a record-breaking performance by Jada Williams.
Williams had an all-time high 44 points, the first game of her career over 30. The total goes down as the highest by a Cyclone in a conference game, and is now the second-highest total in Iowa State history just behind Audi Crooks’ total of 47 also set this season.
Crooks kept her double figure scoring streak alive at 86 games and brought in her 15th 20-plus point game this season scoring 24. Arianna Jackson, making her return to the court, was the third with 10-plus totaling 11.
After Cincinnati got out to a 6-2 start, a tough bucket by Kenzie Hare sparked an 8-0 run. Jackson added to the Cyclones’ lead with a triple, while a Williams steal and layup came next. Williams sent in jumpers on ISU’s next two possessions, building the lead out to 19-8 with three minutes remaining in the opener. At the end of one, Iowa State led 21-12.
Williams kept her night rolling with a shot beyond the arc at the 7:26 mark, while another deep shot by Hare moments later made it 29-15. A Jackson jumper would then extend the run and lead to a timeout by the visitors with 5:29 left in the half. Williams’s second triple came with the clock at 2:09 bringing her first half point total to 19 points, and the Cyclones went on to enter halftime ahead 41-28.
Two makes from the charity stripe by Williams put an end to a 7-0 Cincinnati run and put the scoreboard at 45-35. After the Bearcats shot a 3, Williams answered with one of her own to bring the third to the midway point. Williams then totaled her fourth triple with 3:52 to go in the third (51-41) and two minutes of play later, Jackson and Williams had back-to-back triples keeping the energy high as ISU went up 61-49. Right before the buzzer sounded to send the game to the fourth, Williams sunk her sixth 3 to make it 68-49.
The visitors called an early timeout at 8:11 with the score at 72-51, while the lead continued to grow out of the stoppage. Jackson tallied the Cyclones’ 10th 3-pointer with just over six minutes to play, while Williams followed ascending over the 40-point mark with two free throws as the lead built up to 25 (81-56). The Cyclones went on to seal the 25-point victory at 93-68.
Top Performances
Jada Williams had a 6-0 scoring run of her own in the first as the Cyclones got off to a hot start and ended her night with 44 points (15-of-22 shooting), eight assists, two rebounds and two steals. Williams made a career-high-tying six 3-pointers as ISU totaled 11 on the night. The star downed her previous high set this season vs. Baylor of 28 points.
Up Next
Iowa State remains home hosting Arizona Saturday, Jan. 24. The game tips at 3 p.m. and will be televised on FS1.
Notes
Iowa State women’s basketball’s all-time record moves to 886-683 (.565) and 348-363 (.489) in conference play.
Fennelly’s career record moves to 815-383 (.680) in his 38-year career and 649-330 (.663) at Iowa State.
Fennelly won his 300th conference game at ISU with tonight’s win over Cincinnati. Fennelly is 300-214 in conference contests as the head coach of the Cyclones with 295 counting as Big 12 wins.
Reese Beaty recorded her 50th assist as a Cyclone with three assists tonight.
With 24 points today, Audi Crooks extended her double-figure scoring streak to 86 games, the longest active streak in NCAA women’s basketball. It is the longest streak among Big 12 players since Brittney Griner’s 116-game streak.
Crooks passed Angie Welle on Iowa State’s all-time field goals leaders with her fifth make from the floor on the night. Crooks ranks second all-time at ISU with 796 career makes.
Kenzie Hare scored her 200th point as a Cyclone with her first points on the night.
Evangelia Paulk pulled down her 500th career rebound. She finished with seven rebounds tonight and has posted 505 in her career.
Jada Williams finished with a career-high 44 points, going 15-of-22 from the floor and 6-of-10 from 3-point range.
The point total is the second-most in Iowa State single game history, the most in ISU Big 12 single-game history and the most by a Cyclone in games played in Hilton Coliseum.
Williams scored or assisted on 62 of Iowa State’s 93 points (67 percent) tonight, finishing with 44 points and eight assists. It is the most points scored or assisted on by any player in NCAA Division I this season.
With a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, Reagan Wilson knocked down her 25th career triple.
