The Cy-Hawk rivalry rarely disappoints, but Friday night it delivered something even more electric: a heavyweight showdown defined by momentum swings, clutch shot-making and another dominant performance from Audi Crooks.
The junior center powered No. 10 Iowa State to a hard-fought 74-69 win over No. 11 Iowa, ending the Cyclones’ three-game slide in the series and sending the home crowd into a frenzy as the final seconds ticked away.
The game opened at a sprint, both teams matching pace and poise. Iowa State led 14-12 at the under-5-minute timeout, riding eight early points from Crooks. But Iowa closed the first quarter with a dagger three at the horn to seize a 23-19 lead – and the emotional edge.
Iowa State responded with force to open the second. The Cyclones scored the first seven points of the period, flipping the score to 26-23 while the Hawkeyes sputtered through a scoreless stretch. Iowa eventually counterpunched with a 9-0 burst, but Kenzie Hare calmly buried a jumper in the lane just before the half to pull the game level at 35.
From there, Iowa State steadily took the controls.
The Cyclones opened the third quarter with another 6-0 run, and by the time Crooks scored her 18th point on a gorgeous feed from Jada Williams, ISU opened a 48-40 lead at the under-5 timeout. Iowa drilled yet another buzzer-beating three to end the quarter, but it only trimmed the deficit to 61–48. The Cyclones were firmly in rhythm, driven by Crooks’ interior power, Addy Brown’s efficiency, and Williams’ masterful floor game.
Williams finished the night with 11 points and 12 assists – her fourth double-double of the season – and the engine behind countless ISU scoring bursts.
Still, Iowa made sure the finish was anything but easy.
A sudden 10-0 Hawkeye run to start the fourth slashed the Cyclones’ 15-point lead to five. With just under three minutes left, ISU clung to a 69-64 margin, and free-throw struggles (9-of-20 on the night) threatened to undo the evening’s work.
A key officiating review, sparked by an Arianna Jackson deflection, restored the ball to Iowa State, but the tension only grew. When Williams missed two free throws and Iowa trimmed the score to 72-69 with 28 seconds left, the Cyclones were one defensive stand away from disaster – or triumph.
They chose triumph.
Hare leaped to block Taylor McCabe’s potential game-tying three, and Crooks – fittingly – added a free throw moments later to reach 30 points and give ISU breathing room at 73–69. Iowa’s final shot missed, Brown secured her 12th rebound, and the Cyclones sealed their statement win.
Crooks’ final line: 30 points, 10 rebounds and complete ownership of the paint. Brown: 20 points, 12 rebounds. Williams: 11 points, 12 assists.
And a rivalry reclaimed.
