Iowa State Women Fall to Syracuse in NCAA Tournament First Round

STORRS, Conn. — Iowa State’s season came to an end Saturday night, falling to Syracuse 72-63 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Cyclones (22-10) were led by standout sophomore Audi Crooks, who poured in a game-high 37 points. Crooks extended her double-figure scoring streak to 98 consecutive games and recorded her 17th career 30-point performance, including nine this season.

Jada Williams also reached double figures with 14 points and led all players with eight assists.

Iowa State briefly held momentum early, closing the first quarter on a 6-0 run to take a 14-11 lead. However, Syracuse (24-8) responded in the second quarter, using a 10-0 run to take control and building a 41-26 advantage at halftime behind strong 3-point shooting.

The Orange maintained a double-digit lead through much of the second half, leading 54-42 entering the fourth quarter.

The Cyclones made a late push, cutting the deficit to six points at 60-54 following a three-point play by Crooks and a jumper from Reese Beaty with under five minutes remaining. Iowa State pulled within five at 68-63 after a 6-0 run sparked by Williams with just over two minutes to play, but Syracuse answered down the stretch to secure the win.

Despite the loss, Iowa State finished the season with several notable achievements. The Cyclones recorded 639 assists, the second-most in a single season in program history.

Crooks also reached milestones during the game, tallying her 64th career 20-point performance and surpassing 900 career field goals, ranking second all-time in program history.

Head coach Bill Fennelly’s career record now stands at 822-388, including 656-335 at Iowa State.