MANHATTAN, Kan. — It must have felt like Audi Crooks was stuck on “Audi-matic”, as she scored 41 points in a 93-79 victory over Kansas State Sunday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum. Crooks went 16-of-19 from the field and 9-of-9 from the free throw line. She also pulled down 13 rebounds.
“Audi was just incredible,” head coach Bill Fennelly said of the Algona native, who notched her fourth 40 plus point game of the season. “Might have been as good of an all-around game as she’s played.”
Advertisement
Iowa State (22-8, 10-8 Big 12) took an early 2-0 lead on Crooks’ layup just nine seconds into the contest. Barcelona, Spain, native Gina Garcia – the first to wear No. 6 in Kansas State women’s basketball history – gave the hosts their lone lead of the first quarter with their first of a dozen 3-point baskets.
Taryn Sides, with a team high average of 12.3 points per game, trimmed the Cyclone lead to one with a layup. Iowa State responded with a 7-0 run before Ivona Šćekić connected on her lone two points of the game with a layup.
Nastja Claessens brought KSU within two of ISU with 39 seconds remaining in the first quarter, but a pair of free throws by Reese Beaty put Iowa State ahead 26-22 at the end of the first quarter.
Claessens’ free throw with 4:42 remaining in the first half gave the Wildcats their largest lead of the game, 38-31, before the Cyclones responded with a 6-0 run that was evenly distributed between Jada Williams, Crooks and Beaty.
Advertisement
Kansas State went into halftime up 43-37 following a pair of Garcia free throws with a second remaining.
The second half missed with a missed 3-point basket, but the rebound was snared by Derby, Kansas, native Addy Brown. Brown, with a game high 14 rebounds, dished the ball to Crooks who connected on a layup.
On the following Iowa State possession, Brown scored on a jumper.
One of Kenzie Hare’s three 3-point baskets brought the Cyclones within one, 45-44, and a Crooks layup gave the cardinal and gold their first lead of the second half with 8:14 remaining in the third quarter.
Neither team held more than a three point lead from that point on until the end of the third quarter, which saw Iowa State lead 65-62.
Advertisement
Kansas State guard Tess Heal tied the game at 65 with her second and final 3-point basket which opened the scoring in the fourth quarter.
Arianna Jackson connected on her lone shot on the day 52 seconds later.
From that point on, the Cyclones led by as little as one point twice, with the latter occurrence happening with 7:45 remaining. Iowa State responded with a 9-0 run, six points for Crooks and three points for Jada.
The final 3-point basket for Iowa State came with 3:51 remaining, which put the Cyclones up 11 (85-74). Of the final eight points for ISU, Crooks had four and Jada as well as Addy had two each.
Advertisement
The Cyclones outrebounded Kansas State 48-24, but turned it over 24 times to their 12. KSU racked up 15 steals compared to Iowa State’s three. The Cyclones scored 42 points in the paint compared to the Wildcats’ 26.
Jordan Speiser paced KSU with 17 points, while Hess added 16, Garcia had 14 and Sides contributed 11.
Iowa State is back in action at 5:30 p.m. Thursday when they head to Kansas City for the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament. They’ll face the winner of No. 15 seeded Arizona versus No. 10 seeded Arizona State.
