BOULDER, Colo. — For one luminous half Wednesday night, No. 19 Iowa State looked like a team ready to flip the script on a season suddenly gone sideways. Three-point baskets rained, role players rose and the Cyclones carried confidence at the CU Events Center. Then the margins tightened, turnovers mounted and Colorado seized the moments […]
BOULDER, Colo. — For one luminous half Wednesday night, No. 19 Iowa State looked like a team ready to flip the script on a season suddenly gone sideways. Three-point baskets rained, role players rose and the Cyclones carried confidence at the CU Events Center. Then the margins tightened, turnovers mounted and Colorado seized the moments that decide conference games.
By the end of it, the Buffaloes had turned patience into points and pressure into profit, handing Iowa State a 68-62 loss – the Cyclones’ fourth straight defeat after opening the year with 14 consecutive wins.
The night began with opportunity. Reagan Wilson made her first start of the season, rewarded for an outstanding performance against West Virginia on Sunday, while Sydney Harris again stepped into the lineup for Addy Brown.
Early, it was Harris and Jada Williams who steadied Iowa State’s pulse. Williams drilled her first two shots from beyond the arc, and Harris followed with a fearless shooting display that kept the Cyclones afloat.
Still, trouble lingered in familiar places. Iowa State surrendered a last-second 3-point basket to end the first quarter, trimming what could have been a comfortable cushion to a 16-13 lead. It was a small moment – and a telling one. The end of quarters has quietly become a sore spot for the Cyclones, and Wednesday’s game offered another reminder.
Crooks attempted just two shots in the first quarter. Even when she caught the ball, space vanished quickly. The Buffaloes made the game uncomfortable for her, and uncomfortable for Iowa State.
So the Cyclones adjusted the only way they could — by shooting their way through the pressure.
ISU hit early 3-point baskets, stretched the floor and sprinted to a 28-16 lead midway through the second quarter. Harris was the catalyst, burying all three of her attempts from deep and giving Iowa State its first double-figure scorer. At that point, the numbers favored the Cyclones: 58 percent from 3-point range – seven makes from beyond the arc – and a narrow 29-25 advantage at the break.
But the box score also whispered a warning: 15 turnovers before the third quarter even reached its midpoint.
Those giveaways proved costly as the game tilted. By the time the fourth quarter arrived, the teams were knotted at 42 — momentum suddenly neutral.
The Buffaloes built a six-point lead early in the final period as Iowa State’s offense stalled and the turnovers kept coming. With the Cyclones searching for answers, Johnston native Aili Tanke stepped into a massive 3-point basket — tying the game at 50 with 5:27 remaining.
Colorado answered every push, and when the Cyclones trimmed the margin, the Buffaloes steadied themselves at the free-throw line and in transition. Iowa State trailed by five with 1:12 remaining and the final horn sealed a night defined by missed chances and costly mistakes.
In the loss, Iowa State was outrebounded 46-to-33. At the charity stripe, Iowa State went 7-of-14 and Colorado went 14-of-18.
“It’s defensive rebounding and free throw shooting that continue to be bad,” head coach Bill Fennelly said on the Cyclone Radio Network.
Harris finished with 12 points on a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range, a performance that deserved a happier ending. Crooks tallied 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field, the Algona native also blocked four shots. The Cyclones connected on 11 3-point baskets overall but were undone by 17 turnovers and a second-half shooting slump.
The loss drops Iowa State to 14-4 overall and 2-4 in Big 12 play, still searching for its first victory since that blistering 14-0 start. The margin between dominance and doubt has narrowed quickly.
Iowa State travels to Oklahoma State (15-4, 4-2 Big 12) on Saturday. Tip off against the Cowgirls is scheduled for noon, live stats will be on StatBroadcast.
Cyclones-Buffaloes box
IOWA STATE (62) — Totals — (FG FT PTS) 22 7-14 62. Audi Crooks 7 3-5 17, Sydney Harris 5 2-4 16, Jada Williams 3 1-2 9, Reese Beaty 3 0-0 8, Kenzie Hare 2 1-3 7, Aili Tanke 1 0-0 3, Lilly Taulelei 1 0-0 2. 3-point goals — 11 (Harris 4, J. Williams 2, Hare 2, Beaty 2, Tanke 1). FG shooting — 22-57 (38.6 percent). Rebounds — 33 (Crooks 15, J. Williams 3, A. Williams 3, Hare 3, Wilson 1). Assists — 15 (J. Williams 5, Hare 4, Wilson 2, Crooks 2, Beaty 2). Steals — 12 (Beaty 3, J. Williams 2, A. Williams 2, Hare 2, Crooks 2, Harris 1). Blocked shots — 6 (Crooks 4, Hare 1, Tanke 1). Turnovers — 17. Team fouls — 17. Fouled out — None.
COLORADO (68) — Totals (FG FT PTS) — 24 14-18 68. Desiree Wooten 8 5-7 24, Jade Masogayo 6 3-5 15, Zyanna Walker 4 2-2 10, Anaelle Dutat 3 2-2 9, Tabitha Betson 2 2-2 8, Jojo Nworie 1 0-0 2. 3-point goals — 6 (Wooten 3, Betson 2, Dutat 1). FG shooting — 24-66 (36.4 percent). Rebounds — 46 (Dutat 12, Walker 7, Greer 5, Masogayo 5, Wooten 4, Crook 2, Betson 2). Assists — 11 (Walker 4, Masogayo 2, Dutat 2, Wooten 2, Betson 1). Steals — 9 (Walker 3, Masogayo 2, Betson 2, Dutat 1, Nworie 1). Turnovers — 17. Team fouls — 15. Fouled out — None.
Category: General Sports
