Audi Crooks scored 40 points on 18-for-20 shooting, and Iowa State erased a 20-point deficit to beat Maryland in the NCAA tournament. PALO ALTO, CALIF. — Audi Crooks took a moment to herself, standing near the sideline while her teammates warmed up before she played in the first NCAA tournament game of her career Friday night. The Iowa State freshman closed her eyes, tugged on her shooting shirt and breathed deep.
Crooks fought back tears as she talked about her pregame routine, which includes taking a moment to think about her late father. She became the fourth player in program history to score 40 points and was three points shy of setting the Cyclones record.“Before every game, I just try to take a moment,” Crooks said. “I pray and kind of seek guidance from my father who passed away when I was 16 in 2021.
Maryland couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game. Bri McDaniel set the tone in the opening moments with a pair of jumpers and defensive deflections to fluster the Iowa State offense. Then the threes started falling. First it was Shyanne Sellers from the top of the arc. Then McDaniel. And that’s when Allie Kubek caught fire., but she found her range — and her aggression — at the perfect time.
Shyanne Sellers finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the loss, while Faith Masonius chipped in 14 points.He went from the man to the zone in the second half,” said Frese, who called Iowa State Coach Bill Fennelly, a mentor of hers, one of the best X’s and O’s coaches in the country. “A lot of things impacted us in the third quarter. Our defense impacted us. I thought they got a lot more aggressive.
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