Iowa State women’s basketball: Fast start helps Cyclones remain unbeaten, roll past Southern at home

Double-doubles from Audi Crooks, Addy Brown lead Iowa State women to 84-56 victory over Southern

Audi Crooks helped the Iowa State women remain unbeaten with a win over Southern in Ames Sunday. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The eighth-ranked Iowa State women remained unbeaten Sunday, rolling past Southern in another early non-conference affair. 

Audi Crooks, a preseason All-American, and Addy Brown both recorded double-doubles for the Cyclones (3-0), who jumped out to a 17-0 start to the game. Brown finished with a game-high 21 points to go along with 10 rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes while Crooks had 17 points, 11 rebounds and three assists. 

“I keep saying the same thing,” ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said. “It’s (Brown’s) third game of her sophomore year in college. She’s tremendously talented and gifted from a basketball IQ sense. We’re lucky she’s on our team.

“She’s the perfect fit for how we want to play. She’s a point forward and it’s like having a two-quarterback system with Emily and Addy. She’s a physical kid and she’s just gonna keep getting better because she loves to play.”

Crooks and Brown shot a combined 15-for-20 from the field as Iowa State made 29 of 61 field goals and knocked down 12 three-pointers. Sydney Harris had three triples off the bench while Brown, Arianna Jackson, Emily Ryan and Mackenzie Hare each knocked down two.

The Cyclones led by as many as 29 points, dominating inside the paint behind Crooks, where they had a 34-14 advantage. Ryan was just short of a double-double, dishing out 10 assists to go with eight points and a steal. 

Harris added 11 points with Alisa Williams scoring seven. Ryan, Williams and Aili Tanke each had five rebounds. 

This was the second straight double-double and 12th of the career for Brown, Ryan recorded her 19th career double-digit assist game and Iowa State extended its NCAA-record streak of 930 consecutive games with a made 3-pointer. 

“If (opposing teams are) going to do that, (Brown’s) gonna keep putting up numbers like the ones you’re seeing,” Crooks said. “I think that’s a very dangerous game to play.”

Up next for Iowa State will be St. Thomas on Thursday in a game streaming live on ESPN+ from Hilton Coliseum in Ames. From there, they hit the road for the first time - while remaining within the state borders - with a matchup in Cedar Falls vs. Northern Iowa on Wednesday, Nov. 20. 

Iowa State takes on another in-state rival on Sunday, Nov. 24 when they host Drake before departing for Florida to meet top-ranked and defending national champion South Carolina on Thursday, Nov. 28 at the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off.