Freshman Audi Crooks scored a career-high 40 factors on 18-for-20 capturing in her sensational NCAA Tournament debut, and No. 7-seed Iowa State hit all the large photographs in the second half to rally from 20 factors down and beat 10th-seeded Maryland 93-86 on Friday evening.
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Freshman Audi Crooks scored a career-high 40 factors on 18-for-20 capturing in her sensational NCAA Tournament debut, and No. 7-seed Iowa State hit all the large photographs in the second half to rally from 20 factors down and beat 10th-seeded Maryland 93-86 on Friday evening.
The 20-point comeback marked the second-largest all-time in an NCAA Tournament recreation trailing solely Texas A&M overcoming a 21-point deficit to beat Penn in 2017.
Emily Ryan knocked down a key 3-pointer with 6:06 remaining and completed with 18 factors whereas dispensing 14 assists as Iowa State saved pounding the ball inside to the ever-reliable Crooks — even when it led to a handful of late turnovers.
Crooks, this system’s first freshman to earn AP All-America honors along with her honorable point out choice this week, got here in main the group averaging 18.9 factors and seven.7 rebounds and have become the sixteenth participant to attain 40 or extra this season. She had 12 rebounds towards Maryland.
Allie Kubek knocked down all 5 of her 3-pointers in the first half and completed with seven from lengthy vary on the way in which to a season-best 29 factors, and it regarded like Maryland would possibly run away from the Cyclones.
Instead, it’s Iowa State (21-11) advancing to play Sunday for a spot in the Portland Regional, its opponent to be both No. 2 seed Stanford or Fifteenth-seeded Norfolk State with these groups enjoying Friday’s late recreation at Maples Pavilion.
Kelsey Joens hit a tying 3-pointer with 3:20 left in the third quarter as Iowa State used a 10-0 run to get again in the sport and Crooks’ three-point play on the 2:50 mark put the Cyclones forward 62-61 earlier than she scored once more the subsequent time down.
Kubek’s scorching hand from 3-point vary obtained Maryland (19-14) going early from the perimeter and the Terrapins needed to make issues robust on 6-foot-3 Iowa State freshman star Crooks in the low submit as she got here in capturing an NCAA-best 58.4% from the ground.
Maryland made 9 3s in the first half, its most in any half this season — and the 11 whole 3s have been the Terrapins’ excessive.
This was a training reunion between shut associates. Longtime Cyclones coach Bill Fennelly employed now-Terrapins coach Brenda Frese on his first workers in Ames and she or he stayed with this system from 1995-99. They posed for a photograph earlier than the sport.
The applications had by no means met beforehand — and Frese’s group reached its 14th straight NCAA Tournament after an upset of Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament earlier than dropping to Nebraska.
Maryland hit six fast 3s and 10 of 13 photographs out of the gate for a 33-20 lead after the opening quarter.
BIG PICTURE
Maryland: The Terrapins shot 70.6% in the first interval making 6 of seven 3s and the 33 factors have been their most in any quarter of an NCAA Tournament recreation. They additionally saved possessions alive with hustle performs and by crashing the boards to create second possibilities. … During the time Frese coached below Fennelly, Iowa State reached three NCAA Tournaments and the Elite Eight in 1999. Frese’s sister, Stacy, performed for Fennelly from 1997-2000.
Iowa State: Crooks additionally grew to become simply the fourth participant in Iowa State program historical past to attain 40 factors in a recreation — and marked probably the most factors in an NCAA debut in the final 25 years. … The Cyclones trailed 52-36 and overcame 17 turnovers, helped by a 36-25 rebounding benefit.
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