AMES – When the Iowa State women’s basketball team suffered an ugly loss to reigning national champion South Carolina last month, Cyclones coach Bill Fennelly hoped some good would emerge from it.
Fennelly banked on the idea that his team, which lost by 40 points to the Gamecocks, would learn from the setback and return to the court a better team.
So far, so good.
The 19th-ranked Cyclones won their third straight game with a dominant 82-56 victory over Central Michigan at Hilton Coliseum on Sunday.
Iowa State, which has won four of its last five games, improved to 8-2. Audi Crooks scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Cyclones while teammate Emily Ryan chipped in with 12 points, three rebounds and six assists. Iowa State’s Addy Brown tallied 18 points and four rebounds.
Sunday’s victory was another strong performance for the Cyclones, who have gained some much-needed momentum after suffering the lopsided loss to South Carolina. Iowa State has been nearly flawless since, rattling off wins over Middle Tennessee, USC Upstate and now Central Michigan.
They were far from marquee matchups but precisely what Iowa State needed after a rough outing on Thanksgiving Day. The Cyclones quickly got back on track, especially Sunday with another great effort, taking control of the game early. Iowa State began rolling with a 13-0 run in the first quarter and led 15-3. Ryan had seven points during the run, connecting on a 3-pointer that put the Cyclones up eight.
The Cyclones added a 9-0 run in the quarter and built a 31-13 lead at the end of the frame. Iowa State pulled away more with a 7-0 run in the second quarter. A layup by Brown gave the Cyclones a 47-18 lead. Crooks, who had a double-double by the third quarter, helped the Cyclones build a 70-41 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Central Michigan was overmatched. Iowa State produced 26 points on 29 Central Michigan turnovers. The Cyclones shot 52% (32-for-61) from the field.
The schedule will get much tougher for the Cyclones moving forward. Iowa State will travel to Iowa City to face No. 20 Iowa on Wednesday. The Hawkeyes have won the last two meetings with the Cyclones.
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State women’s basketball: Cyclones rout Central Michigan in Ames
