Audi Crooks owns the paint, Iowa State tops Iowa in battle of unbeatens, 74-69

AMES —

The battle of the bigs was a big advantage for Iowa State.

The 10th-ranked Cyclones ripped the game open in the third quarter, then held off No. 11 Iowa, 74-69, in a non-conference women’s basketball game Wednesday night at Hilton Coliseum.

The nation’s leading scorer, Audi Crooks (30 points, 10 rebounds) decisively won the conflict in the paint, and Iowa State (11-0 for the first time since 2013-14) ended a three-game losing streak to Iowa.

Crooks’ counterpart, Ava Heiden was saddled with foul trouble throughout and finished with eight points before fouling out with 4:18 left.

Hannah Stuelke was 5-for-14 from the field and added 10 points, plus 15 rebounds.

She, too, fouled out with 15 seconds left, moments after Mackenzie Hare blocked Taylor McCabe’s try for a game-tying 3-pointer.

Iowa had won eight of the last nine in the series.

Addy Brown added 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Jada Williams posted 11 points and 12 assists.

After a dead-even first half, the Cyclones scored the first six points after intermission and led the rest of the way.

Crooks’ basket made it 41-35, forcing an Iowa timeout while Juicy Wiggle blared.

Crooks scored again for the Cyclones’ largest lead, 48-40. Then it was Hare for 3 to send the margin to double digits.

Iowa State’s largest lead was 60-43 before the Hawkeyes (9-1) made it interesting late.

Chit-Chat Wright scored a career-high 21 points to lead Iowa. McCabe added 11.

Wright missed three games recently due to an upper-body injury. She played sparingly in Iowa’s win at Rutgers on Saturday.

Late-quarter surges in the first and second periods -- and 13 points from Wright -- enabled the Hawkeyes to go into the locker room tied at 35-35.

Iowa returns home to face Lindenwood on Saturday; ISU welcomes Northern Iowa on Sunday.

Iowa State 74, Iowa 69

At Ames

IOWA (69): Hannah Stuelke 5-14 0-2 10, Ava Heiden 4-7 0-2 8, Taylor McCabe 4-9 0-0 11, Kylie Feuerbach 3-7 2-2 10, Chit-Chat Wright 7-14 3-4 21, Taylor Stremlow 1-3 0-0 2, Layla Hays 1-3 1-2 3, Addie Deal 0-4 0-0 0, Journey Houston 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 27-63 6-12 69.

IOWA STATE (74): Addy Brown 7-11 4-9 20, Audi Crooks 13-20 4-7 30, Arianna Jackson 0-3 0-0 0, Jada Williams 5-13 0-2 11, Mackenzie Hare 2-4 1-2 6, Alisa Williams 1-2 09-0 2, Reagan Wilson 0-0 0-0 0, Sydney Harris 2-3 0-0 5, Evangelina Paulk 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-57 9-20 74.

Iowa 23 12 13 21 — 69

Iowa State 19 16 26 13 — 74

3-point goals: Iowa 9-24 (McCabe 3-8, Feuerbach 2-5, Wright 4-9, Stremlow 0-2), ISU 5-15 (Brown 2-4, Jackson 0-2, J. Williams 1-4, Hare 1-3, Harris 1-1, Paulk 0-1). Team fouls: Iowa 20, ISU 15. Fouled out: Heiden, Stuelke. Rebounds: Iowa 32 (Stuelke 15), ISU 39 (Brown 12). Assists: Iowa 16 (four with 3), ISU 22 (J. Williams 12). Steals: Iowa 5 (Wright 2), ISU 2 (Jackson, J. Williams). Turnovers: Iowa 9, ISU 12.

Attendance: 14,009.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com