The Iowa State women’s basketball team went south Sunday to take on the Kansas State Wildcats (15-15, 8-9 Big 12) and hand them their 10th conference loss, 93-79. 

Backed by big performances from big stars, the Cyclones secured a top-eight seed in the Big 12 Tournament and guaranteed Iowa State a first-round bye in the Big 12 Tournament. 

Hot (and slippery) hands 

In true Farmageddon fashion, the Wildcat press came out hot and heavy. 

The Cyclones shot 44% from the field in the first quarter, with junior guard Jada Williams and junior center Audi Crooks only missing one shot between the two heavy hitters. The two combined for 20 of the Cyclones’ 26 first-quarter points. 

A quick five points from Williams gave her team a 13-5 lead early. Nothing comes easy, however, and the Wildcats did not go away. 

Kansas State could not miss from behind the arc, draining 7-of-17 shots in the first quarter. 

Back-to-back threes from Jordan Speiser and Nastja Claessens cut the Wildcats’ deficit to two with just under a minute to play. 

Their press and heavy defense created problems early and often. Through this point in the season, the Cyclones have averaged 12.3 turnovers per game; in the first quarter, the Wildcats forced 12. 

Wildcat defense turned up in the second quarter, outscoring the Cyclones 21-12. 

Williams was sent to the bench with two fouls in the second, forcing Iowa State to adapt without its lead handler. 

That responsibility fell on freshman guard Reese Beaty and junior guard Arianna Jackson, who were bombarded in the first half. 

Kansas State held a 43-37 lead going into the locker room. 

Second chance points in the third 

The Wildcats lead lasted for approximately one minute and 45 seconds. An 11-2 Iowa State run, capped with a Crooks bucket, helped the Cyclones storm back early to take the 48-45 edge. 

Second-chance points fueled the Cyclones and stopped the Wildcats. They had 12 in the second half, compared to a big goose egg on the other end. 

Speiser sank a three around the four-minute mark in the third to take a 58-55 lead, but it wouldn’t do much. 

Going into the fourth, the Cyclones led 65-62. 

In true fashion, Crooks showed up when she was needed most. She tallied a whopping 41 points, including 28 in the second half. 

She was 16-of-19 from the field and perfect from the charity stripe. Crooks also finished with a double-double, adding 13 rebounds. 

Williams worked through foul trouble, ending with 23 points, nine assists and five rebounds. 

Junior forward Addy Brown, in her victory return, finished with seven points and 14 rebounds. Redshirt junior guard Kenzie Hare had nine big points, all coming from behind the arc.