AMES – Iowa State started hot and didn’t cool off in an 86-56 win over Colorado at home on Saturday, which marked the Cyclones’ second-straight victory.
Iowa State has now scored 80 or more points in four conference games, but this was the most efficient the offense has played in any of them. In fact, it was the most efficient offensive night all season, considering the team’s field goal percentage.
“Things were clicking automatically, to be honest. We were able to knock down the first few shots and ran some plays and got buckets that we wanted,” sophomore center Audi Crooks said. “We could get looks on the outside, inside, kind of whatever.”
The Cyclones shot 35-for-62 from the field, and seven players made shots. Four players scored in double figures, and Crooks had the most with 33 points.
“You’re not going to really ever stop [Crooks], but you could make her touches more difficult,” Colorado head coach JR Payne said. “Also, stop the 3-point line, I think that would have been more effective. We didn’t necessarily do either as well as we needed to.”
Crooks shot 15-for-20 from the field, which not only matches her season-high in makes but also her season-high in field goal percentage. Crooks’ efficiency is something that head coach Bill Fennelly mentioned after the game against TCU when Crooks shot 12-for-26, one of her lowest marks of the season.
“That’s something that I did notice and that some of the coaches had said, you know, you need to be more efficient with the ball,” Crooks said. “That was a priority in my night as well.”
Another area where the Cyclones have struggled at times this season is from 3-point land, but not against the Buffaloes. Iowa State shot 11-of-23 and made some timely ones to slow a Colorado run.
One Cyclone that has excelled in the past two games from deep is sophomore guard Arianna Jackson, who shot 4-for-6 from beyond the arc on Saturday.
“Her shot selection is really good. I think we played back-to-back games where she probably isn’t at the top of the scouting report,” Fennelly said. “So when we go inside out, she’s the one that’s open, and she’s been really good.”
Jackson only averages 5.6 points per game and has been said by many to be the Cyclones’ top defender, but she has turned it on offensively the past few games. With 17 points against Cincinnati and 12 against Colorado, Jackson has been near the top in terms of scoring for Iowa State.
“I would just say confidence. I mean, moving the ball a lot. I think moving more on offense is definitely key,” Jackson said. “And for me, getting a stop on defense or something like that definitely fuels my offense and gets me going early.”
The efficiency is one thing for Iowa State, but having two or three players other than Crooks or sophomore forward Addy Brown contribute to that scoring and efficiency has helped Iowa State over this two-game stretch.
“I just told them all, hey, I know what you can do. We know what you can do,” Fennelly said. “Game plans are game plans, and so it’s just one of those weeks that came together for them. Hopefully, it’s a sign of good things to come to them because they’ve heard it because of how hard they work and how much it means to them.”
Following the TCU game, which the Cyclones lost, Crooks mentioned how important it was that she and Brown got some help offensively. Crooks and Brown combined for 60 of the team’s 69 points that night.
It was a different story against the Buffaloes. Crooks, Brown, Jackson and fifth-year guard Emily Ryan combined for 69 points. Not two players, but four, all scoring in double figures and clicking when it matters most, near the end of the season.
“This team isn’t made up of one or two or three people. It’s made up of many more than that,” Crooks said. “Every person contributes. Like I said, those games where they do and it shows up on the stat board, that’s really, really important.”
