Despite a strong offensive start, the Cyclones lost momentum in the second half as the University of Northern Iowa dominated the court, handing No. 8 Iowa State its first loss of the season 87-75.

The Cyclones fell flat for their first road test, handing the Panthers their first win over a top-10 team in school history.

Iowa State’s strong offense was a consistent factor in the first half, even though there was a consistent strategy of double-teaming against center Audi Crooks, which ultimately affected the team by putting up easier shots and leaving many players to shine around the perimeter. 

Although both teams put up a consistent, fast-paced battle, the Panthers fell a couple of points short and left the first half three points behind Iowa State.

Looking into the second half, the momentum was building in the Cyclones’ favor with a quick build-up of points that presented a small lead. However, this led the Panthers to get more aggressive in their defense, giving the Cyclones a lack of opportunities and forcing them to make mistakes, which led UNI to put up quick points.

Iowa State then fell into a shooting drought, ending the third quarter with the Cyclones nearly going six minutes without a basket, giving UNI its first quarter-ending lead of 64-55.

The fourth quarter only solidified the Panthers’ win, as their early lead kept only building their momentum. Not letting the Cyclones rest, UNI continued to attack even with a high-point lead of at least 10 points throughout the last quarter and continued its strong offense. 

The Panthers had 23 points compared to Iowa State’s 11, which handed the Cyclones their first loss of the season and gained their first win over a top-10 school.

“These in-state games are hard,” head coach Bill Fennelly said. “That’s why the men don’t play them.”

Emily Ryan’s early shooting gave Iowa State momentum

With a previous history of being a team player, and lacking in scoring hopes, the Iowa State senior guard had no problem taking shots around the court to build early momentum for the Cyclones.

Ryan’s first points of the game were both back-to-back 3-pointers, breaking an early 7-7 tie between the two teams. Along with boosting the Cyclones’ lead with a follow-up layup. Ryan ended the first quarter leading the team with eight points.

Although Ryan’s consistent effort on the team is with assists, she did not disappoint in that area as she walked away with a team-high of six assists. The senior cooled off a bit the rest of the game, but still made 60% of her 3-pointers, going 3-for-5 around the arc and making 50% of her field goals.

A quick switch in defense leads to Crooks’ demise

Early on in the game, it was clear that Crooks was a target for the Panthers, as the consistent double-teaming led to the sophomore missing half her shots in the paint.

With a strong defensive approach of continuously double-teaming and a couple of triple-teams, Crooks started the first quarter only securing one of her attempted four field goal shots.

Although she led the team with 22 points, Crooks ended the night by securing eight out of her attempted 16 field goal shots, along with going 6-for-10 from the free throw line. Despite her lack of shots, the star center’s defensive abilities became a strong point for the team as she gained three personal fouls in the process.

Crooks also provided a strong impact on the glass, as she came away with 10 rebounds, giving her a double-double for the second time this season and 10th of her collegiate career. Six of those 10 rebounds came from the offensive end, which helped give the Cyclones those second-chance opportunities.

Despite Crooks’ lack of shooting opportunities throughout the game, sophomore forward Addy Brown picked up the slack as she walked away with 21 points, now marking over 500 career points and recording her 13th career double-double with 12 rebounds. Brown secured 80% of her field goal shots and found success around the 3-point arc with her one secured shot.

Iowa State’s lack of defense in the second half leads to loss

Slowly gaining momentum throughout the night offensively, the Cyclones closely led the first two quarters, ending the first half 44-41. The victory seemed close as they were able to have shooting success despite the Panthers’ strong defense.

However, the Cyclone defense lacked structure as they went into the second half, as the UNI shooting became unstoppable. Making at least half their buckets and going 5-for-6 around the arc in the third quarter, the Panthers’ slow buildup of a lead kept the Cyclones on their toes as they went at least five minutes without gaining a point. 

The success only continued during the fourth quarter as they created a 76-60 lead against the Cyclones. Despite its offensive accomplishments, Iowa State was strong with its quick rebounds, walking away with 28 defensive rebounds. Brown was strong on defense as her quick skills led her to secure one block and one steal.

However, due to overshot passes and small mistakes, the Cyclones lost possession of the ball many times throughout the second half giving the Panthers 15 fastbreak points and 14 points due to turnovers.