Ames, Iowa — Iowa State dominated No. 14 Kansas State in their regular-season finale on Sunday, powered by a career-best performance from Audi Crooks. The sophomore center delivered 14 of her career-high 36 points in the third quarter, propelling the Cyclones to an 85-63 victory.
Leading by just one at halftime, Iowa State (21-10, 12-6 Big 12) took control in the third quarter behind Crooks’ flawless 6-for-6 shooting and two free throws. The Cyclones outscored Kansas State 27-15 in the period, breaking the game open.
The defeat shakes up the Big 12 standings, dropping Kansas State (25-6, 13-5) out of a tie with No. 21 Oklahoma State for the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. Instead, the Wildcats enter a three-way tie for fourth place with No. 18 West Virginia and Utah.
With OSU defeating Kansas to secure the No. 3 seed, West Virginia claims the No. 4 seed—and a quarterfinal bye—due to its head-to-head win over Kansas State. The Wildcats settle for the No. 5 seed, while Utah takes No. 6. Iowa State earns the No. 7 seed, with all four teams receiving first-round byes.
Crooks, the fastest player in Iowa State history to reach 1,000 career points, has now scored in double figures for 63 consecutive games—just one shy of the program record held by Angie Welle. She finished 14-of-18 from the field and 8-of-11 from the free-throw line while grabbing 10 rebounds.
Senior Emily Ryan contributed 17 points and 10 assists in her final regular-season game, while Kelsey Joens added 10 points. Addy Brown narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds.
Kansas State was led by Temira Poindexter’s 17 points, while Serena Sundell added 10 points, six rebounds, and six assists. However, the Wildcats couldn’t keep pace with the Cyclones’ dominant second half.
