AMES – As the Iowa State women’s basketball team rolled through the first 10 games of the season, there was only one thing missing from the strong start.
The Cyclones had yet to truly be tested with a tough non-conference opponent.
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On Wednesday, Dec. 10, they finally got their first test and passed it with flying colors.
Iowa State picked up its first marquee victory of the season and ended a three-game losing streak against in-state rival Iowa as the 10th-ranked Cyclones beat the 12th-ranked Hawkeyes, 74-69, at Hilton Coliseum.
Audi Crooks scored 30 points for the Cyclones and Addy Brown added 20. Brown also finished with 12 rebounds and five assists.
With the victory, Iowa State improved to 11-0, the strongest start to a season since the 2013-14 campaign when the Cyclones rattled off 14-straight victories to begin the year.
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The victory over the Hawkeyes was the first for the Cyclones since a 77-70 Cy-Hawk win back on Dec. 8, 2021. It had been so long since Iowa State had picked up a win in the series that none of the players on the team’s roster had ever defeated Iowa.
This one didn’t come easy. The contest included five ties and 10 lead changes. But they all came during a back-and-forth first half that included big moments for both teams.
Iowa closed out the first quarter with an 11-2 run and took a 23-19 lead into the second after former Cyclones starter Kylie Feuberbach buried a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.
The Cyclones battled back by scoring the first seven points of the second quarter. They took a 26-23 lead on a fadeaway from Crooks. But Iowa responded with a 9-0 run to take a 35-33 lead. Iowa State got a jumper from Kenzie Hare before the quarter to go into halftime tied, 35-35.
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In the third quarter, it was all Iowa State. The Cyclones scored the first six points of the third quarter and took a 41-35 lead. It grew even more after an 8-0 run. Hare connected on another 3-pointer to push the advantage to 51-40.
Iowa State, which outscored Iowa 26-13 in the quarter, went into the fourth with a commanding 61-48 lead.
Iowa quickly turned things around in the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run that pulled the Hawkeyes to within five of Iowa State. The Cyclone lead even dwindled to just three multiple times in the fourth quarter. But Iowa never could get over it.
Iowa State continually left the door open for the Hawkeyes, though. Jada Williams missed a pair of free throws late in the fourth quarter with Iowa State up just three. Iowa’s Taylor McCabe had her shot blocked on the next possession.
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Crooks put things away by hitting 1-of-2 free throws to take a four-point lead.
Iowa State was without backup point guard Reese Beaty for the second straight game. The school announced before the game that Beaty would be out for two weeks due to a lingering foot injury.
Beaty has already played a valuable part for Iowa State this season. She averaged 5.9 points, 3.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds in Iowa State’s first nine games. Beaty missed Iowa State’s game against Northern Illinois as well.
Another big test is coming Iowa State’s way. The Cyclones face their final in-state rival when they take on Northern Iowa on Dec. 14 at Hilton Coliseum. The game marks the end of the non-conference schedule for the Cyclones.
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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 beats Iowa, ends Cy-Hawk losing streak
