Audi Crooks Powers Iowa State to Victory Over Iowa in Unbeaten Showdown

AMES, Iowa — Iowa State middle Audi Crooks, the main scorer in Division I ladies’s basketball, had one other enormous sport Wednesday night time because the No. 10 Cyclones stayed undefeated by beating cross-state rival Iowa 74-69 at Hilton Coliseum.

Crooks had 30 factors and 10 rebounds and is now averaging 27.8 factors and taking pictures 72.2% from the sphere, which is second in Division I.

However she was extra centered on what this victory mentioned about her group, which gained its first sport towards a ranked opponent whereas handing the No. 11 Hawkeyes (9-1) their first loss. Crooks’ teammates Addy Brown (20 factors, 12 rebounds) and Jada Williams (11 factors, 12 assists) additionally had double-doubles.

“I really feel like now we’re formally battle-tested,” Crooks mentioned. “You already know, folks have been commenting on our schedule and now there’s not a lot else to say. When you will have three gamers with double-doubles, you may’t say we’re a one-trick pony. You may’t say our schedule is mushy.

“However, truthfully, we’re not involved with the noise and what everyone has to say on-line. We’re anxious in regards to the mentality in our locker room [and] that we’ve in follow. I really feel that comes with maturity. It is very easy to get sucked into social media and public opinion. … This group, we’re all a bit bit older and a bit bit wiser.”

That mentioned, coach Invoice Fennelly acknowledged the Cyclones (11-0) undoubtedly knew their power of schedule — at No. 308 getting into Wednesday — was being questioned. Final season, Iowa State misplaced nonconference video games to UConn and South Carolina — the groups that performed within the nationwide championship — plus Iowa and Northern Iowa.

Fennelly mentioned he thought these losses price the Cyclones loads in public notion. This season, the schedule has not been practically as tough.

That is a part of why Wednesday was so necessary: It was Iowa State’s first assertion win of 2025-26.

“[They] have been wired up right this moment a bit bit greater than regular,” Fennelly mentioned. “A few of our gamers have needed to learn some issues that are not actual complimentary, they usually’re not actual joyful about it.”

The opposite massive half was that the win got here in the course of the Cy-Hawk collection, which incorporates a number of sports activities at each faculties. The No. 4 and undefeated Iowa State males’s basketball group, coming off an upset win at former No. 1 Purdue on Saturday, hosts Iowa in Ames on Thursday.

“I imply, it is not an accident that I’ve 203 textual content messages already,” Fennelly mentioned about beating Iowa, including that after Sunday’s 105-52 win over Northern Illinois, “I had one from my spouse that mentioned, ‘Deliver one thing residence for supper.’”

“[They] have been wired up right this moment a bit bit greater than regular. A few of our gamers have needed to learn some issues that are not actual complimentary, they usually’re not actual joyful about it.”

Iowa State coach Invoice Fennelly

The Iowa ladies dominated the earlier 10 years of this matchup, going 8-2. That included a 67-58 victory two years in the past in Ames when then-senior Caitlin Clark fueled the Hawkeyes with 35 factors and crossed the three,000-point threshold on her method to changing into the all-time Division I profession scoring chief.

Fennelly mentioned after that sport in December 2023 that gamers equivalent to Crooks and Brown, freshmen on the time, would develop from it.

After dropping at Iowa 75-69 final season, Crooks and Brown led the way in which to victory in entrance of 14,009 followers at residence Wednesday.

“It was a fantastic showcase for 2 nice applications in our state,” Fennelly mentioned. “I am actually pleased with our group. It is a win that hopefully we are able to construct on.”