AMES – Through a full team effort on the court, Iowa State drew a dominant 86-56 win against Colorado on Saturday.

With a first quarter that left the Cyclones holding a 19-0 run over the Buffaloes, their tight-knit defense held strong in the second, which had them up 43-23 at halftime.

Weaving through continuous scoring droughts in the third quarter, the Cyclones pulled through in the last 10 minutes of play, making a prominent 30-point finish heading into their bye week.

Consistent 3-point shooting

Having one of their best offensive nights, with outstanding success from the paint and outside, sophomore center Audi Crooks led the night with a team-high 33 points at her target spot on the low post. Behind the arc, Iowa State had a large amount of team success, going 11-for-23.

“A lot of players were contributing in a lot of different ways,” Crooks said. “That’s what’s really going to help us get W’s here down the road as we approach the postseason.”

Helping to develop a first-quarter lead was the Cyclones’ open availability around the perimeter, as they scored five 3’s in the first 10 minutes of play.

“If we could have made [Crooks] touches a little bit more difficult and also guarded the 3-point line, I think that would have been more effective,” Colorado head coach JR Payne said. “But we didn’t necessarily do either as well.”

Earning a total of 33 points from 3-pointers, the Cyclones’ most consistent player from behind the arc was sophomore guard Arianna Jackson. With a season of ups and downs from the 3-point mark, Jackson ended the night making four of her six attempted 3-point shots. 

“Just confidence, moving the ball a lot and I think moving more on offense is definitely key,” Jackson said. “Then for me, getting a stop on defense or something that definitely fuels my offense and gets me going early.”

Iowa State made the most of its open opportunities on the court due to the Buffaloes’ struggle to guard both the paint and around the perimeter. It gave players such as sophomore forward Addy Brown to end the night going 2-for-5 from behind the arc, and fifth-year guard Emily Ryan made two of her six attempted shots.

“This team isn’t made up of one or two or three people. It’s made up of many more than that, and every person contributes,” Crooks said. “And tonight, like I said, those games where they do and it shows up on the stat board, that’s really, really important.”

Kelsey Joens impacts first quarter lead

With previous talks of needing to start the first quarter with a lead, the Cyclones fulfilled their goal, earning 29 points in the first 10 minutes of play, compared to Colorado’s nine.

“We’ve had some slow starts in games, so I think that’s been a focus all year,” Jackson said. “Just coming out strong and fast and I think that’s what we did.”

The biggest beneficial factor of the early start was sophomore guard Kelsey Joens being added to the starting lineup.

“To be honest with you, I think a big part of it is Kelsey Joens is in the starting lineup,” Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly said. “There’s no one I coach harder than her.”

With Joens contributing an overall five points, her positioning and availability around the court made her an obstacle for the Buffaloes.

“There’s something about her energy. I’d say [Arianna Jackson] making shots early and Kelsey Joens is everywhere,” Fennelly said. “And I do think that changes the way teams go about it.”

Having a stronger experience defensively during her 28 minutes of play, Joens tallied one steal, four assists, six rebounds and three personal fouls.

“She makes plays that no one on our team makes,” Fennelly said. “Flying through to get a rebound or getting a loose ball, or make an occasional shot. You need people like that.”

Strong reliance on defense

As Iowa State started strong offensively earning itself a reliant lead, the Cyclones fell backward during the second and third quarters as their shooting was minimized. However, they kept the Buffaloes at minimal shooting opportunities throughout their struggles.

Colorado’s highest-scoring quarter was the third, with 19 points. Overall, Iowa State was able to control the court as the team ended with five steals and five blocks.

With a combined total of 30 defensive rebounds and eight offensive rebounds, the Cyclones were able to make 11 points off second-chance shots.

Crooks had 11 defensive rebounds, while Brown and Joens contributed eight. To cap it off, Brown ended the night with a team-high of three blocks.