Mar 12, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Emily Ryan (11) brings the ball up the court around Texas Longhorns guard Shay Holle (10) during the second half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Iowa State followed last season’s Big 12 Tournament winning script perfectly. First, upset Baylor. Second, do the same to regular-season league champion Oklahoma. Third? Well, fourth-ranked Texas conjured up a cruel plot twist — and instead of falling to the Cyclones in the title game like last season, the Longhorns cruised to a 70-53 triumph Tuesday night at the T-Mobile Center.
“Phenomenal team,” said ISU head coach Bill Fennelly, whose team (20-11) saw a six-game winning streak snapped. “They played like a Final Four team today.”
From start to finish.
Texas (30-4) used a 16-0 first-half run to turn a 14-10 lead into a 20-point cushion that never dipped below 12 points while the Cyclones tried to mount multiple second-half runs. The Longhorns’ Madison Booker — the first freshman in Big 12 history to attain conference player of the year accolades — scored a game-high 26 points. ISU center Audi Crooks — the first Cyclone freshman to earn first-team All-Big 12 honors — compiled a team-high 25 points, with 19 of them coming in the second half.
“We did, for the most part, what we came to do this week,” said Crooks, who along with senior teammate Emily Ryan was named to the all-tournament team. “We played a really good two games, a really good half, I’d say, in this game. But we’ve got a lot of work to do. We’ve got a lot of learning to do and we still have (the rest of) the postseason, so we’re excited to see what else we can put together.”
ISU shot just 33.3 percent in the first half, but rebounded to shoot a torrid 63.2 percent in the second. The Cyclones’ improved shooting, though, was overshadowed by game-long struggles to take care of the basketball. Texas outscored ISU 23-to-5 in points off of turnovers and used nine offensive rebounds to craft a 16-to-2 advantage in second-chance points.
“They showed up ready to play and we weren’t quite where we needed to be either, so huge credit to them,” said Ryan, who had seven points and eight assists. “Congrats to them and they have a lot ahead of them, as well.”
So — as Ryan indicated — do the Cyclones, whose late-season surge ensured they’d reach the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season. Few outside observers considered that possible when ISU lost four starters to graduation or the transfer portal and five freshmen led by Crooks and Addy Brown took center stage in what could have been a rebuilding year.
Instead, ISU is NCAA Tournament-bound for the 22nd time in Fennelly’s 29 seasons at the helm.
“I’m really just proud of the way this team comes together every night and plays for each other rather than stats,” said Ryan, who missed all but one game of nonconference play because of injury. “Obviously, Audi had another great night tonight, but as a team, it’s just always next man up. Everybody’s just happy for each other. That’s the fun thing about showing up every day, is that we keep doing it together. Regardless of the outcome, the message stays the same (and) there’s no other team I’d rather be in a locker room with and be going back to Ames with.”
Soon, they’ll be going back out on the road. The initial destination is unknown. The opponent may be new. And that’s also what makes all of this fun for Ryan, Fennelly, and everyone within the Cyclones’ program.
“They’ve never made excuses,” Fennelly said. “They accomplished a lot of things that very few people thought they could. Our freshmen are phenomenal people who are turning into great basketball players — and they are led by the best leader (Ryan) I’ve ever been around. We’d be here all night if you let me talk about our team.”
