{"id":148127,"date":"2026-02-28T04:14:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T04:14:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/148127\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T04:14:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T04:14:08","slug":"cyclones-visit-wildcats-iowa-state-daily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/148127\/","title":{"rendered":"Cyclones visit Wildcats \u2013 Iowa State Daily"},"content":{"rendered":"

One last chance for a higher seeding in the Big 12 Tournament lies ahead as Iowa State (21-8, 9-8 Big 12) takes on Kansas State (15-15, 8-9 Big 12) in the regular-season finale. After taking a 76-72 victory over the Wildcats on Feb. 15, the Cyclones look to close out the season going 2-0 in the series.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The game is set with a 1 p.m. tipoff Sunday in Manhattan, Kansas and can be streamed on FS1.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it will be a phenomenal game. We saw last time that they\u2019re a great team. They never quit,\u201d Jada Williams said. \u201cI think it\u2019s a good opportunity for us to close out the regular season on a high note.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

With both teams coming off 1-2 records following the last meeting, a sense of redemption lies ahead. One thing Kansas State brings to the game is a commitment to something bigger than basketball.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sunday\u2019s game is a part of the team\u2019s annual Team Hally game<\/a>, which honors Hally Yust, who passed away in 2014 following a battle with Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM). The Team Hally game spreads awareness and supports a faith-based organization honoring Yust.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis has been a special part of our program. The Yust family honoring their daughter Hally in doing just a lot of great things in her name,\u201d Kansas State head coach Jeff Mittie said via an Instagram post<\/a> about the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Since 2014, the Wildcats have dedicated a locker in the women\u2019s basketball locker room to Yust and have hosted a Team Hally game for 12 consecutive years.<\/p>\n

From Iowa State\u2019s Play 4 Kay<\/a> game to Kansas State\u2019s Team Hally game, both teams have shown how important community connections are.<\/p>\n

Last time out, Iowa State\u2019s victory saw one key role missing: junior forward Addy Brown. This time around, Brown returns to the lineup looking to further the Cyclones\u2019 chances at victory.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know what we\u2019re capable of, we\u2019re a dangerous team to see, teams in march are gonna know that as well,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n

Even without the presence of Brown, Iowa State saw a common duo leading the team to victory, junior center Audi Crooks and Williams.<\/p>\n

Crooks dropped 20 points and nine rebounds while Williams tallied 22 points, five rebounds and nine assists. 12 of Williams\u2019 points came from the charity stripe, where she held a 100% free-throw percentage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Two points of similarity showed up last time out: free-throw shooting and paint points.<\/p>\n

Iowa State went 25 for 28 at the line while Kansas State went 19-23. In the paint, the Wildcats led with 30 while the Cyclones had 26.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With two teams that both put it all together in the last meeting, Kansas State looks to use its home court advantage and sharpshooters of its own to capture a victory.<\/p>\n

The Wildcats triple threat lies within junior guard Taryn Sides, freshman guards Gina Garcia and Jordan Speiser.<\/p>\n

Last time out,\u00a0 Sides dropped 23 points, two rebounds and four assists. The freshman duo both contributed 11 points apiece. Garcia added three rebounds and three assists, while Speiser also tallied seven rebounds.<\/p>\n

As the final regular-season team kicks off the Sunday matinee, it looks like it will come down to the wire, with seeding advantages on the line.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s a team that we can\u2019t beat. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s a team in our league that can\u2019t beat us,\u201d head coach Bill Fennelly said.\u00a0<\/p>\n