Iowa State Cyclones forward Addy Brown (24) drives against Iowa Hawkeyes forward Hannah Stuelke’s (45) defense Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. © Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
IOWA CITY – Iowa State let one slip away at Carver-Hawkeye Arena as the Cyclones were downed 75-69 Wednesday night.
The Cyclones held the lead for nearly 33 minutes and were ahead by 10 with less than two minutes to play in the third quarter, which was quickly erased during a 10-0 run.
“We missed some shots,” Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly said. “There were two times where we had good looks at the basket – didn’t make them. We had players that were not able to get back in transition, and they hit two three’s on us. We missed a couple free throws.”
Audi Crooks led the way for the Cyclones in scoring, going for 31 points and 10 rebounds.
However, she was 3-10 from the free throw line. Iowa State was 6-16 as a team.
“When you’re playing on the road and you’re playing a good team, and they’re playing at the level they were playing, you have to find a way to stop it,” Fennelly said. “You can’t miss two free throws. You can’t miss a layup. You’ve got to get a stop, and we just didn’t.”
Addy Brown scored nine of Iowa State’s first 20 points in the game, all coming on 3-pointers, but was held out of the game for the final 7:56 of the second quarter as well as all but 20 seconds of the third quarter after picking up three fouls early.
That hurt the Cyclones even more Wednesday with the news of Kenzie Hare sitting out for the rest of the season with a lingering hip injury. Hare was one of the team’s best shooters, but will now apply for a medical redshirt.
“(Losing Kenzie Hare) impacts a lot,: Fennelly said. “She’s a starter. She’s a really good player. She’s very tough. She can score. Obvioulsy we’re struggling to find points except from Addy (Brown) and Audi (Crooks) right now.”
Point guard Emily Ryan finished with nine points and seven assists, but was responsible for nine of the Cyclones’ 21 turnovers. Iowa ended the game with nine.
And for the ninth-straight time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa State goes back to Ames without a W.
“There have been a lot of people that have come in here and struggled,” Fennelly said. “It’s something that we haven’t been able to overcome. We had a chance tonight, I thought… You’ve got to give Iowa credit.”
Iowa’s charge was headed by Villanova transfer Lucy Olsen, who ended with 25 points and five assists.
The senior guard was a constant threat and contributor from the mid-range for Iowa, and the Cyclones rarely had an answer.
Fennelly, speaking of Hare, went on to say that she was a big part of what the Cyclones were doing to that point in the season.
“That’s where the other guys have to step up and now they get the opportunity and the minutes,” Fennelly said. “Hopefully we can find that.”
Hare’s absence prompted a need for others to step up, but no player outside of Crooks or Brown hit double figures. Ryan was the only one to have more than five points in the game.
The Cyclones, who fall to 8-3 with the loss, will have to find it quick, too.
After a matchup with Eastern Illinois on Sunday, Iowa State will travel to Uncasville, Conn. to face No. 2 UConn on Tuesday.
There’s a lot to figure out, and Iowa State didn’t make the progress there that it needed to Wednesday.
