Audi Crooks Shines in Iowa State’s Dominating Win Over Valparaiso

The Iowa State women’s basketball team, led by Audi Crooks, achieved a remarkable 97-50 victory over Valparaiso on Wednesday. This marked the first matchup between the two teams, with Crooks setting a new program record by scoring 43 points in just 20 minutes.

Interestingly, Crooks managed to shine despite dealing with a bout of illness early in the game. “I wasn’t going to let anyone know I wasn’t feeling well because, well, then they might not play me,” she explained, showing her determination to contribute.

On her way to breaking the single-game record, Crooks made a free throw with 8:42 remaining in the fourth quarter, overtaking Tonya Barnes’ previous record of 42 points from back in 1984. Crooks opened the scoring in the fourth quarter with six quick points, pushing the lead to 73-42 before she was ejected from the game.

Iowa State’s coach, Bill Fennelly, commented on the challenge of defending Crooks, saying, “They tried to play her one-on-one, but we have a few players who can compete with her. It’s not easy, especially since she has great positioning and technique.”

In addition to her points, Crooks contributed seven rebounds and one block, extending her streak of double-digit games to 71, hitting 18 of 23 shots. This is the longest such streak in NCAA women’s basketball history and sets a new mark for the Cyclones.

During the first half, she scored 22 points, leading a 33-10 run that put the Cyclones (3-0) ahead 43-22 at halftime.

Addie Brown was another standout for Iowa State, scoring 18 points with a shooting accuracy of 70%, while also grabbing seven rebounds and handing out four assists. She celebrated a personal milestone, surpassing 1,000 career points. Jada Williams added her first double-double, finishing with 11 points, a career-high 10 assists, and three steals.

On the other side, Milana Nenadic was the lone bright spot for the Beacons (0-3), scoring 20 points on 8-of-19 shooting, along with six rebounds and two steals.

The Cyclones shot an impressive 53.4% from the field, converting 39 of their 73 attempts, while Valparaiso struggled with just 29% on 18 of 62 shooting.

So far this season, Crooks has averaged 44.5 points per game, scoring at least 85 points in every game played. This is certainly a performance to remember.