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Audi Crooks gets brutally honest on Iowa State’s loss to Hailey Van Lith, TCU

Originally posted on NCAA Basketball on ClutchPoints
By Erin Achenbach | Last updated Feb 3, 2025 11:31 AM ET

Hailey Van Lith’s 28-point performance powered No. 9 TCU to an 82-69 win over Iowa State women’s basketball on Sunday, extending the Horned Frogs’ stronghold near the top of the Big 12 standings while handing the Cyclones their second straight loss.

For Iowa State (15-9, 6-5 Big 12), the defeat capped off a frustrating week following an overtime loss to No. 11 Kansas State on Thursday. Audi Crooks, who scored 29 points in the loss, acknowledged the team’s struggles.

“It just hasn’t been our week, to be honest,” Crooks said, as reported by Ben Hutchens of the Globe Gazette. “But we can’t have many more of those slip-ups. We can’t have many more losses going forward.”

While Van Lith led the way for TCU (21-2, 9-1), the difference came from Taylor Bigby and Donovyn Hunter. Bigby had a season-high 19 points, per the Associated Press, and Hunter added 10 off the bench, helping the Horned Frogs maintain control despite leading scorer Sedona Prince being held scoreless in just two shot attempts.

“In February, the scouting reports, everybody at this point in the game knows everything you’re running, they know everybody’s tendencies and so you need your role players to step up and hit shots,” TCU women’s basketball coach Mark Campbell said.

Iowa State women’s basketball struggles on offense

Iowa State women's basketball forward Addy Brown (24) and center Audi Crooks (55) reacts after losing 82-69 against TCU women's basketball in the Big-12 women’s basketball showdown. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa State’s offensive output came almost entirely from Crooks and Addy Brown, who had a career-high 31 points. The rest of the Cyclones combined for just nine points on 2-for-9 shooting.

Iowa State made a push in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit with an 8-0 run, but Van Lith responded with a layup before Hunter knocked down a three-pointer, putting the game out of reach. The win was TCU’s first over Iowa State since February 2020.

“I think when we went into these games we knew we were playing two really good teams,” Iowa State women’s basketball coach Bill Fennelly said, referencing the prior Kansas State loss. “That proved to be true. It also proved to be true that we were right there with both of them so hopefully it shows that our players understand that alright, it’s not a complete mismatch … but that’s what they’re at the top and we’re not.”

The Horned Frogs will face No. 11 Kansas State on Wednesday, while Iowa State looks to bounce back on the road against Cincinnati.

This article first appeared on NCAA Basketball on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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