AMES, Iowa – Senior Night started with fireworks inside Hilton Coliseum, but Iowa State couldn’t hold off Oklahoma State down the stretch, falling 88-77 Wednesday evening in front of 9,686 fans.
The Cyclones (21-8, 9-8 Big 12) opened the game in electric fashion. On her senior night, Sydney Harris drilled a 3-pointer on Iowa State’s first possession, setting the tone for an 11-0 run. Addy Brown and Arianna Jackson followed with triples of their own before Audi Crooks stretched the lead to double digits, forcing an early Oklahoma State timeout.
But the Cowgirls (22-8, 11-6 Big 12) answered.
Oklahoma State chipped away at the deficit and eventually grabbed a 15-13 lead late in the first quarter. Brown responded with another three to swing the momentum back, and the teams finished the opening period knotted at 18.
The second quarter mirrored the first, with Harris once again connecting from deep to give the Cyclones an early edge. Iowa State built its lead to 31-24 midway through the frame, but the Cowgirls closed the half on an 11-4 run to tie the contest heading into the locker room. No Cyclone scored more than six points in the first half as the teams remained locked in a back-and-forth battle.
Jada Williams took charge after the break. The junior guard became the first Cyclone to reach double figures and finished with 19 points and a game-high 10 assists for her eighth double-double of the season. Williams now has 223 assists this year, the third-best single-season mark in program history.
Crooks added 19 points and seven rebounds, extending her double-figure scoring streak to 95 consecutive games — the longest active streak in NCAA women’s basketball and the longest among Big 12 players since Brittney Griner’s 116-game run. With her performance, Crooks also climbed to fourth on Iowa State’s all-time scoring list with 2,157 career points, surpassing both Bridget Carleton and Angie Welle.
Sydney Harris (12 points) and Addy Brown (11) also finished in double figures as Iowa State battled through multiple lead changes in the third quarter. A 7-0 Cyclone run capped by a Harris three briefly put ISU ahead, but Oklahoma State answered once again. The teams entered the fourth quarter tied at 60 — the third straight period ending in a deadlock.
The decisive swing came early in the final quarter. The Cowgirls opened with a 14-4 run, prompting two timeouts from head coach Bill Fennelly in the first five minutes. Iowa State fought to cut into the deficit but could never fully recover as Oklahoma State sealed the 88-77 victory.
Kenzie Hare added a milestone night of her own, scoring her 250th career point as a Cyclone and recording her 100th rebound in Cardinal and Gold.
With the loss, Iowa State’s all-time record moves to 892-686 (.565), including a 354-366 mark in conference play. Fennelly’s career record now stands at 821-386 (.680), including 655-333 (.663) at Iowa State.
The Cyclones will look to bounce back Sunday when they close the regular season at Kansas State. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. on FS1.
