Iowa State could not get anything offensively, and its four-game winning streak ended in a 67-52 loss to No. 19 Baylor on Saturday.
The Cyclones drop to 19-10 with just two games remaining before the Big 12 tournament. The Bears extended their win streak to eight games, holding their spot near the top of the conference.
The first half featured some slow scoring for the Cyclones, who shot 25% from the field and 16% from deep. Iowa State trailed by 10 points at the break, and the leading scorer at the time was redshirt sophomore forward Alisa Williams, who had eight points.
Not many things changed in the second half, with the Cyclone offense still struggling to get anything going. Sophomore center Audi Crooks scored 12 of her 14 points in the second half, but not much else was falling. Outside of Crooks, the Cyclones shot 5-for-17 in the half.
Turnovers hurt Iowa State
Coming into the game, Iowa State knew what to expect in terms of the Bears’ defense. They pressure the ball handler and play press defense more than most. Iowa State still could not do anything about it.
The Cyclones turned the ball over 21 times, tied for their third-most in a game this season. The Baylor defense turns over its opponents an average of 17 times per game, so it took advantage of Iowa State all game.
Crooks, who had the ball in her hands more than anyone, had six turnovers, a lot coming from a backside defender stripping the ball when Crooks had the ball in the post. Fifth-year senior guard Emily Ryan had five turnovers, posting a brutal 0.2 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Overall, the Baylor defense hounded the Cyclones, with 10 of the 21 turnovers coming from steals.
Hot shooting comes to an end
Over the course of the Cyclones’ four-game win streak, 3-point shooting has been one of the biggest stories, as it has been a very inconsistent spot all season. Iowa State returned to earth on Saturday, shooting just 1-for-14 from deep.
After knocking down at least 10 threes in six of the last seven games, the Cyclones struggled all day. Although the 3-point shooting was the most noticeable struggle, the shooting was very off. Iowa State shot just 34% from the field.
Sophomore guard Kelsey Joens and junior guard/forward Sydney Harris have had large roles over the past few weeks, especially on the shooting end. Joens knocked down Iowa State’s lone three, but Harris had no attempts in 13 minutes.
Well-rounded Baylor offense dominates Iowa State
The Bears have five players that average double-figures in points, so game planning defensively was tough for the Cyclones, as there wasn’t one or two people to try to contain.
Those players continued to do that against Iowa State, as they shot a collective 43% from the field but an impressive 47% from three. Baylor senior guard Yaya Felder led the way with 15 points, but three other players also scored in double-figures.
Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly talked about limiting the runs, especially against a good team on the road. The Cyclones did that for the most part, but third-quarter runs of nine and seven points helped the Bears build a 20-point lead, and the Cyclones were done from there.
Iowa State will stay on the road and take on UCF at 6 p.m. Tuesday, a team the Cyclones have already played and beat.
