CINCINNATI, Ohio – Iowa State (16-8, 7-4 Big 12) topped Cincinnati (13-8, 5-6 Big 12) by 20 on Wednesday by a final of 72-52 on the road.
Iowa State came away with the wire-to-wire win led by commanding performances by Audi Crooks and Arianna Jackson. The Cyclones delivered 10 3-pointers, the ninth game this season and fifth in conference play with 10 or more. ISU is now 4-0 against Cincinnati.Â
Crooks led all players with 18 points off 7-of-12 shooting and going 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Jackson got the Cyclones started strong and ended the night with a career-high-tying 17, including a season-high-tying 4 made 3s. Kelsey Joens brought in 11 for her second 10-plus point game of the season.
Addy Brown pulled down a season-high-tying 12 rebounds while also totaling nine points, seven assists and a steal.
How it Happened
A triple by Emily Ryan kicked off scoring less than a minute into the game, while a Crooks and-1 came soon after making it 6-2. As Cincinnati drew within one, ISU set out on a run as Jackson and Ryan went back-to-back from deep. Ryan hit a layup to follow to go up 14-5 at the media timeout. As the quarter drew to a close Jackson sunk another 3, ISU’s fourth, giving the Cyclones a 19-11 edge.
The 3s continued to fall as Joens netted one of her own at the 8:38 mark to make it 24-14. Iowa State would make it a 15-point lead (35-20) with just under two minutes remaining in the half after a pair of shots from the charity stripe by Jackson, while Cincinnati hit their fifth 3-pointer to make the scoreboard read 35-23 at the half.
Jackson kept her night rolling with her third made 3 to stretch the lead to 16 with 7:47 to play in the third. With just under three minutes in the frame, Cincinnati made its seventh triple, but a pair of free throws by Crooks came next to keep the lead over 10 (45-33). Joens then made a tough layup through contact and made her free throw to bring the lead back to 15. A Crooks layup at the buzzer sent ISU into the fourth with the 53-35 advantage.
Freshman Aili Tanke sunk two 3s in the opening three minutes of the final quarter to keep a commanding lead and the Cyclones went on to win it 72-52.
Top Performers
Arianna Jackson entered double figures in the first half to secure her third 10-plus game of the season and fifth of her young career. The sophomore ended her night with 17 points, going 5-of-9 from the field, five rebounds and three assists.
Audi Crooks had her 57th game in a row scoring in double figures with her 18 points, also totaling six rebounds and a block.
Up Next
Iowa State returns home to host Colorado this Saturday, Feb. 8 at 4 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Notes
- Iowa State’s women’s basketball all-time record moves to 883-675 (.567) and 340-357 (.488) all-time in conference play.
- Head coach Bill Fennelly‘s Iowa State record moves to 627-322 (.661) and his career record moves to 793-375 (.679). He is 292-209 (.583) in conference games at ISU.
- Iowa State held Cincinnati to 52 points, the 13th time this season holding an opponent to under 60 points.
- Audi Crooks’ 18 points marked the 57th straight game of her career scoring in double figures.
- Crooks has totaled 227 made field goals this season, the fifth best mark by a Cyclone in a single season.
- Her 564 points this season are second among all Iowa State sophomores and her 110 free throws are the fourth-best sophomore total.
- With four assists tonight, Emily Ryan moved her career total to 937 assists, the 11th best total all-time in NCAA Division I women’s basketball.
- Ryan has played in 143 career games, the second-best all-time mark by a Cyclone behind Ashley Joens’ best 158 games.
- Addy Brown made her 300th career field goal with her second make of the night and 800th career point on her free throw made at the beginning of the third quarter.
- Brown has finished with double figure scoring in each of the last 11 games and 45 times in her career.
- With her sixth point of the night, Kelsey Joens recorded her 100th point of the season.
- Arianna Jackson made her 50th career free throw with her second make at the line tonight.
