No. 18 Iowa State could not contend in its 101-68 loss to No. 4 UConn. The Cyclones struggled with a slow offensive start in the first quarter, scoring a limited 10 points and everything spiraled from there.
The Huskies’ dominant defense limited the Cyclones’ scoring opportunities, allowing UConn to maintain a significant lead throughout the game.
Iowa State had a strong second quarter with 25 total points and limited the Huskies to their lowest-scoring quarter of 18 during the game. But, the Cyclones’ defense did not make up for their lack of offense down the line.
Regardless of the drought, Iowa State continued to battle but ultimately was too far behind in the last 10 minutes of play, handing the Huskies their tenth win of the season.
Cyclones rely on Crooks, points-in-the-paint
Regarding Iowa State’s lack of range shooting, the in-the-paint shots were the best bet for the team to gain points on the board. Sophomore center Audi Crooks started the drive with a second-chance jump shot, gaining the Cyclones a two-point tally to start the game off strong.
However, UConn’s strong defensive game quickly established itself through double-teaming and triple-teaming on Crooks, preventing her shots. Due to the lack of low-post availability, the Cyclones put faith in their offensive team around the perimeter, with sophomore forward Addy Brown and senior guard Emily Ryan.
They found comfortable positioning in the mid-range, both scoring nine points, with Ryan making 50% of her field goal shots and Brown making three of her attempted nine shots in the paint.
Despite the difficult defensive tactics presented, Crooks was able to leave the game with a team-high of 22 points, making nine out of her attempted 14 shots. Her strength in the low-post carried the team to make 32 points from within the paint, contributing 47% to their overall score.
Iowa State guard/forward Sydney Harris was the best of the Cyclones from behind the arc, as she was 5-for-7 on her 3-point shots and ended the game with 17 points.
Uconn’s strength in long-range shooting
Perimeter shots became a strong pattern for the Huskies in gaining a lead over the Cyclones. With a 36-10 point lead in the first quarter, 30 points were contributed due to UConn’s strength from the 3-point arc.
The Huskies made a team total of 20 3-pointers, which broke their program record for 3’s made in a game.
UConn guard Ashlynn Shade gave the Huskies their first points of the game with a 3-point jump shot, quickly followed by a repetitive motion around the perimeter, as Shade earned 20 points from her successful six-for-six shots from the 3-point line in the first 10 minutes.
Following Shade’s start, guard Paige Bueckers made five out of her attempted seven 3-pointers, ending the game with 27 points, tied with Shade, who found success within seven of her 10 attempted shots from behind the arc.
Starting to feel comfortable in the third quarter, forward Sarah Strong earned a team-high of 29 points after earning 17 in the third quarter of play. Strong found success around the perimeter, making five out of her nine attempted shots from the 3-point line.
An insurmountable deficit for the Cyclones
Despite facing a massive lead from UConn, the Cyclones still tried to remain strong throughout the 40 minutes. However, in the last 10 minutes of play, the Huskies’ defense took a turn limiting opportunities for Iowa State, which made the deficit too much to make up.
Making a comeback after taking limited shots in the first quarter, the Cyclones found themselves outscored 20-16 in the fourth quarter.
The strong defense came from UConn forward Ice Brady who had three steals in the last 10 minutes, contributing to the team’s overall of nine steals. The Huskies also added three blocks and 26 defensive rebounds.
