AMES – Iowa State looks ahead toward a potential comeback win on the road with a trip to Cincinnati on Wednesday.
Following a disappointing 82-69 loss to No. 9 TCU, the Cyclones struggled with a team effort on the offensive side. Sophomore forward Addy Brown and sophomore center Audi Crooks were the two players who carried the team, as they combined for an impressive total of 60 points.
Despite an uphill battle due to falling short in the first quarter and limiting TCU’s top player, graduate center Sedona Prince, to playing a total of 19 minutes after fouling out and securing zero points, Iowa State could not hold on. They fell apart in the second half, giving the Horned Frogs a 13-point win.
“Number one, you got to be willing to shoot the ball. I mean, we are passing up shots, we’ve got to do some things offensively,” Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly said. “I think a little bit better at not just relying on two people running our stuff, where the other players understand where their shots are coming from.”
Moving past their two-game losing streak, the Cyclones are well-prepared for their fourth matchup against the Bearcats, who have a primary focus on Cincinnati’s strong offense and its offensive rebounds.
“They are the best offensive rebounding team in the Big 12, which is a problem,” Fennelly said. “They are very, very aggressive off the bounce and they want to get to the free-throw line.”
Sitting at a 13-7 overall record, the Bearcats average 36.9 rebounds per game alongside an average of 18 free throws a game, where they find success with their 74% hit rate from behind the charity stripe.
“Very good offensive rebounding team, they lead the Big 12 in offensive rebounds, so just knowing that shots are going to go up at some time and we just have to box out and get the ball,” sophomore guard Arianna Jackson said. “I think that if we do what we are supposed to do on defense we should be good.”
Leading the team offensively is fifth-year forward Jillian Hayes, who has a team-high of 330 points, averaging 16.5 points per game. Hayes finds comfort from the free-throw line, as she holds a team-high of 112 made free throws, with a 72% success rate from the charity stripe.
Hayes leads the team in rebounds as well, with a total of 77 offensive and 115 defensive rebounds this season. She averages 9.6 rebounds per game, 3.9 of which are offensive.
“Jillian Hayes, I think, is one of the better players in our league,” Fennelly said. “She’s got a really high motor and goes after the ball hard. When you look at stats, you see a kid who gets eight or nine offensive rebounds in a game. Shoot 15, 20 free throws in a game, that doesn’t happen if you are not playing hard.”
Going up against a team that averages 66.9 points per game, the Cyclones are aware of the steps that need to be taken to finish out the game strong and not fall apart in the fourth quarter. Iowa State is also aware that getting stronger offensively to up its shooting capabilities will be crucial, as the Cyclones average 76.5 points per game.
“Our kids are showing up, obviously we’ve got to get some more balance offensively, and I think that falls on the defense too,” Fennelly said. “But I do think there are some things we can get better doing, and I think our kids want to and we will see how it goes the last seven games left.”
“I think we are right there, it just comes down to that fourth quarter and a few little mistakes,” Jackson said. “But I think if we can clean that up a little bit, we are right there.”
In a pivotal spot of the basketball season, Iowa State has seven games left of the season and hopes to go out strong and make it to the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
“This is an important stretch for us,” Fennelly said. “We are one of the last teams to get a bye, so we need to play well tomorrow and we need to come home and do the best we can against a good Colorado team. Then take a breath and get to the finish line, hopefully.”
Iowa State will face Cincinnati at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. The game will be live-streamed on ESPN+.
