Audi Crooks drops 5th straight game of 30 or more points in Iowa State’s win at Houston
Guys, I was just kind of wondering what type of, you know, impact can *** win like this have on your season. I think I have *** big one. I mean, we, we have *** lot of confidence from this game, our first ranked win, it’s always great to get *** ranked win no matter who it is, so we’ll take that with us. So, you know, when we see some tough teams in conference and know that, you know, we have the abilities to compete with anyone, so yeah, it’ll, it’ll be big for us moving forward for sure. I feel like now we’re officially battle tested and. You know, people were commenting on, on our schedule. So now there’s not much, there’s not much else to say. So just really, really excited, uh, that we were able to prevail in this game. I mean, it was *** battle. They, they did their thing, we did our thing, but at the end of the day, we came out victorious. What changed for you guys in the 3rd quarter there? I just really feel like we were defensive-minded the entire night, but especially in that 3rd quarter. We were able to get some stops, even got some shot clock violations in the game. So I just think that our defense, you know, Iowa really, really, really likes to push in transition, but like we were making baskets, so they, they couldn’t do that. And, and then when they had the opportunity, they kind of struggled *** little bit in that third quarter to, to put some buckets in the hole, so we just took advantage of that. Hey, oh, no, go ahead. Oh, I’m sorry. Audie, um, I saw you look to the bench and say something to your teammate like, you’re gonna make me cry. Can you share what your teammate said? Oh boy, here we go, um. Um, this game. This game is really. This game, uh, was really important to me and my family, specifically my dad. My dad and I would always watch this one together. And Coach Fenn’s dad, um, passed *** few years ago right before this game, or maybe it was *** day or two after, so him and I just had kind of talked and, and when I was going up to shoot the free throw, he, he pointed up in the sky and said he’s watching and I just couldn’t hold it in and I missed the first one, so I couldn’t see, but, uh, yeah, that was just *** special moment that him and I shared and Yeah, this one was definitely for him. How does that make you feel? Oh, yeah, it just, I have an overwhelming sense of joy. Um, everything, you know, when you have *** motivator, you know, when you have motivation like that, you’re gonna run through *** brick wall. And I feel like tonight as *** team and, and individually, we were just tenacious. We were just honestly disgusting to play against. I, I wouldn’t want to play against us. So, yeah. I guess maybe for both of you, but in *** game in which you shoot it really good from the field, not great from the line, how big are plays like. Kenzie Harris, when they have *** chance at *** game tying 3 that they drew up and she gets all ball, blocks it. Yeah, it’s huge. I mean we gotta work on our free throws obviously and we will do that, I promise, um, but yeah, *** lot of people stepped up in *** lot of, you know, different ways tonight whether that was *** defensive stop or just like you said, like executing *** play when we need them to and so many people did that tonight for us and it was huge and we wouldn’t have been able to get that win without them so yeah. Uh, to either player, particularly Audie, um, just what role did the fact, uh, did it play that you were able to get, uh, heighten and, and Stolkey for that matter into, into foul trouble? Absolutely, um. Asserting, asserting, I wouldn’t say dominance, but inserting myself early in the game and getting them in foul trouble really, really allowed us to flow *** lot more smoothly into what we wanted to do offensively. You know, Stokey and Hayden, they’re seasoned, uh, they’ve got at least *** year under their belt, and, uh, they’re great, super agile, intelligent, intelligent basketball players. So to be able to get them in *** position where they had limited minutes, that was huge for us. Uh, Colin Davis Casey, to you, Audie, you two combined for 50 points tonight. What was going right in the post? What was different about Iowa and what was going different tonight for you guys? Um, I don’t know if there was much difference in, in, in the paint. I think we were kind of able to do our two-man game, do our 12. That’s, that’s what we’re known for. I mean, we are, we are the duo. We are considered the duo here in around Iowa State. Um, and I think that *** lot of the time, actually, they guarded one on one, depending on the personnel. Some was *** front. They later began to bring *** weak side help, but that’s not something abnormal. We’ve seen that before and we knew how to handle that. Three of you with double-doubles tonight. Can you just talk about that selfless play and just whoever had the hot hand, whoever had the open look, just good team basketball. Yeah, I mean, it just makes us harder to guard. Um, that’s kind of the missing piece that we were missing last year and I think some teams were still able to beat us even when we, the two of us had ***, had *** good night. So coming in this year, Jade has been able to do *** lot of good things for us and, and everybody too, the whole team just stepping up when we need them to, and our depth is *** lot better this year, so it definitely shows, I think. Mm. Um, Audie, I wanted to ask you *** little bit about, uh, last year I think people almost counted *** couple of those losses against two teams that ended up being in the national championship game almost overly against you guys this year. Maybe you’re hearing, oh, the schedule isn’t tough enough. How do you sort of, I guess, drowned out that and just say, hey, we’re focused on, on us. And, and does *** game like tonight though, like you said, kind of. Maybe stop that chatter. Uh, I would certainly hope so. When you have, you know, 3 players with double-doubles, you can’t say that we’re *** one trick pony anymore. You can’t say that our schedule is soft, but honestly, we’re not concerned with, with the noise and what everybody has to say online, whatever. We’re worried about the mentality in our own locker room, and we’re worried about the mentality that we have at practice. So I feel like that also comes with maturity though, because being *** Freshman and, and playing college basketball, that’s, that’s really easy to, to get sucked into the, to the social media and the public opinion, and that’s something that I think is really, really damaging if you allow it to be. So I think, uh, this team, just, we’re all *** little bit older, all *** little bit wiser and have more experience. So I think we’re able to stay away from, from being sucked into that. For either of you, um, Jada comes up with 12 assists today. What was it like to have her energy and, and her kind of, uh, tenacity in this first Cyhawk for her? Yeah, it’s huge. I mean, she’s not scared of any moment. If you’ve talked to Jada, you know that like her confidence, she has enough confidence for everyone in this room. So, and we love that. Like that’s what we need, you know, she believes in us when we don’t. And so to add that to our roster this year has been, has been big for us, and she stepped up big when we needed her to, and that’s, that’s just what she does. This could be for either. I noticed *** lot of lob passes tonight when Iowa was kind of guarding front and the back. How creative have you guys gotten at those passes in practice as you evolved from freshman? Yeah, I mean, Audie knows, I mean, we have *** guy who’s like 6’6 guarding her every day, so we have to get creative, and he does *** great job on her. And so when we get into games like this, we can make those passes and they tried to switch it up. They would front, um, they would stay behind her sometimes. They did *** good job of switching it up, but I think again just credit to our scout guys like we see different schemes every single day and we’ve had to learn how to make those passes and she does *** great job of going to get it. So I think, yeah, I mean they tried to switch it up, but we just were able to make good reads tonight. All right, thank you everyone. Thank you guys for coming. Thanks.
Audi Crooks drops 5th straight game of 30 or more points in Iowa State’s win at Houston
Updated: 3:24 PM CST Dec 31, 2025
Audi Crooks had 35 points and 13 rebounds, Jada Williams added 16 points and a career-high 14 assists and No. 10 Iowa State beat Houston 80-62 on Wednesday.Previous video above: Audi Crooks, Addy Brown speak after Cyclones’ win over HawkeyesWilliams and Crooks combined for 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting in the first half as the Cyclones (14-0, 2-0 Big 12) built a 45-31 halftime lead. Iowa State shot 60% in the first half.Crooks finished 17 of 21 from the field. She scored at least 30 for the fifth straight game, and double-figures for the 80th straight game, the longest active streak in the nation.Iowa State shot 53% overall and 8 of 16 on 3-pointers. The Cyclones owned a 52-24 advantage in points in the paint.Briana Peguero scored 14 and Jade Jones added 11 points off the bench for Houston (6-7, 0-2). The Cougars shot 38%.Houston opened up a 14-7 lead on a jumper by Jorynn Ross with three minutes left in the first quarter, but Iowa State answered with a 12-0 run over the first and second quarters to take a 19-14 lead on a layup by Crooks to start the second.After the Cougars closed within 29-27 with four minutes left in the second, Iowa State closed the half on a 16-4 spurt, capped with a jumper by Williams at the halftime buzzer. The Cyclones made six straight field goals during the run.Houston got no closer than nine the rest of the way.Up nextIowa State: Hosts No. 22 Baylor on Sunday.Houston: Visits Oklahoma State on Saturday.» Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
HOUSTON (AP) —
Audi Crooks had 35 points and 13 rebounds, Jada Williams added 16 points and a career-high 14 assists and No. 10 Iowa State beat Houston 80-62 on Wednesday.
Previous video above: Audi Crooks, Addy Brown speak after Cyclones’ win over Hawkeyes
Williams and Crooks combined for 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting in the first half as the Cyclones (14-0, 2-0 Big 12) built a 45-31 halftime lead. Iowa State shot 60% in the first half.
Crooks finished 17 of 21 from the field. She scored at least 30 for the fifth straight game, and double-figures for the 80th straight game, the longest active streak in the nation.
Iowa State shot 53% overall and 8 of 16 on 3-pointers. The Cyclones owned a 52-24 advantage in points in the paint.
Briana Peguero scored 14 and Jade Jones added 11 points off the bench for Houston (6-7, 0-2). The Cougars shot 38%.
Houston opened up a 14-7 lead on a jumper by Jorynn Ross with three minutes left in the first quarter, but Iowa State answered with a 12-0 run over the first and second quarters to take a 19-14 lead on a layup by Crooks to start the second.
After the Cougars closed within 29-27 with four minutes left in the second, Iowa State closed the half on a 16-4 spurt, capped with a jumper by Williams at the halftime buzzer. The Cyclones made six straight field goals during the run.
Houston got no closer than nine the rest of the way.
Up next
Iowa State: Hosts No. 22 Baylor on Sunday.
Houston: Visits Oklahoma State on Saturday.
» Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page
» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play