AMES — Iowa State finished its regular season upon the ‘Hilton Magic’, as the Cyclones captured an emotional 85-63 win against No. 14 Kansas State on Sunday.
Along with it being the first-ranked win of the season, Iowa State commemorated its lone senior, fifth-year guard Emily Ryan, with a post-win senior night celebration alongside the other seniors who were a part of the Iowa State community.
“I mean not only it being our last game, but Emily’s [Ryan] senior day, we wanted to send her out, you know, on the right message,” sophomore forward Addy Brown said. “I think we all felt that and had the energy and the importance of it. And again, just our first quad-one win, and first ranked win that we really needed.”
Kansas State’s defense speeds up the Cyclones
Ranked in the top 10 for their efficient defense, there was no doubt that the Wildcats would bring their high-pressure situations to Hilton Coliseum. Using a variety of defensive tactics, such as full-court traps and double-teaming, Iowa State was faced with many challenges.
Due to Kansas State’s powerful defense, the Cyclones were shocked by their eight turnovers in the first quarter, alongside four blocks and five steals by the Wildcats.
Gathering momentum by the second half with a one-point lead, the Cyclones were undermined by more aggression from the other half of the court, as the Wildcats earned themselves 15 fouls, contributing to their overall total of 26.
“When you have really nice kids, you don’t get credit for having a little toughness to you,” Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly said. “We talk a lot about embracing that and being tougher and more committed. The term we use a lot is ‘embrace the hard stuff.’”
Kansas State senior forward Temira Poindexter fouled out in the fourth quarter, followed by three other players who tallied four personal fouls.
The Wildcats, despite their foul trouble, found themselves earning 16 points off of the Cyclones’ 19 turnovers and ending the night with eight blocks and eight steals.
Crooks leads third quarter dominance
Quickly adjusting to Kansas State’s defensive nature, the Cyclones dominated in the third quarter, putting up their most points at 27, compared to the Wildcats’ 15.
With her usual dominance in the low post, it was no shocker what sophomore center Audi Crooks would bring to the court. Averaging 22.6 points per game, Crooks was a dominant force in the third quarter, tallying up 14 points after going 6-for-6 from within the paint.
“Audi [Crooks] did Audi [Crooks] things is what happened,” Ryan said. “She is so good, and for how good she is, I think it’s underappreciated.”
Surpassing the consistent double-teaming and aggression coming her way, Crooks was able to continue her momentum and end the night with a team-high and season-high of 36 points after making 14 out of her 18 attempted shots from the field.
“I mean they had no answer for her,” Fennelly said. “I think they do a really good job of pressuring our support. And I think we handled it much better today than we did down there.”
Alongside Crooks’ dominant 10 minutes, Brown was a consistent factor in Crooks’ shooting abilities, with Brown passing to Crooks. Brown ended the quarter with three assists, contributing to the team’s overall 22 assists.
“I thought Audi [Crooks] worked as hard, if not harder than she has in a long time,” Fennelly said. “To really establish a position, and when you get 22 assists, most of them are going to her.”
Cyclones rely on scoring in the paint
Despite being touch-and-go from around the perimeter, the Cyclones gathered 21 points from behind the arc after making 41% of their shots. However, Iowa State became reliable from off the glass, earning 40 points from within the paint.
“I think it gives us confidence knowing that we can do it,” Brown said. “We just continue to prepare the way we’ve been preparing, and I think we all realize that makes a big impact on how the game actually goes.”
Crooks, the consistent factor in the team’s success, was followed by Ryan, who scored 17 points from making six out of 10 shots from field goal range.
The Cyclones ended the night going 53% from field goal range, alongside a 72% completion rate from the charity stripe.
“We just kept competing,” Fennelly said. “To outscore a team 15 to 29 in the second half, that takes a lot of really good things, and it’d be hard to point out too many bad things in the second half.”
