KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Iowa State (22-11, 12-6 Big 12) fell to No. 17 Baylor (26-6, 15-3 Big 12) in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship 69-63 Friday evening.
After falling behind by as much as 14, the Cyclones trimmed that deficit down to five to end the first half on a 9-0 run. Iowa State took the lead as late as 4:41 in the fourth quarter, but No. 2-seed Baylor flipped the lead for good to advance.
Audi Crooks was outstanding with 32 points, tying the third-highest total by a Cyclone in the Big 12 Tournament after Addy Brown's 41 yesterday. Crooks had game No. 65 in a row with double-digit points, breaking the record for the program's longest streak set by Angie Welle from 2000-02.
Emily Ryan had five assists to bring her total to 78 throughout her tournament career, a Big 12 Championship record. Ryan also had nine points, two assists, a block and a steal while going a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line and making crucial plays to keep the Cyclones in it.
How it Happened
Baylor scored 10 before Crooks got the Cyclones on the board, while Crooks continued to cut into the Bears' deficit totaling her 11th point to put the score at 22-13. Sydney Harris and Brown netted buckets next, stretching a run of nine to cut down a lead that was once 14 down to five (22-17).
The Bears again hit a run to start the quarter, but a Crooks bucket and a 3 by Harris brought the game back within single digits. After Baylor went ahead 38-24 following costly ISU turnovers, the Cyclones set out to end the half making nine straight in a run that included a Ryan and-1 and ended with a jumper by Ryan to put the score at 38-33.
Iowa State continued chipping away at BU's lead as the second half began, bringing it back to a four-point game of 44-40 at the media timeout. With three minutes to play in the third, Iowa State hit a run of six featuring four free throws by Ryan to tie the game at 48s. Baylor remained up, but ISU kept it within three as the game was brought to the final quarter with the score at 55-52.
Harris began the fourth with a layup assisted by Joens to make it a one-possession game but the Bears again held onto the lead. That would change with 5:29 remaining and the score standing at 58-56 as Arianna Jackson hit a huge 3-pointer to send the crowd into a frenzy and give Iowa State its first lead. The game remained within a pair until just under three minutes remained, with Baylor extending a run of seven. Baylor held the lead from there as ISU fell 59-63.
Top Performers
Audi Crooks totaled 30-plus points for seventh time this season as it was also her fourth-straight 20-plus point game. Crooks ended the game with 32 points (14-of-18 shooting), six assists and a steal.
Up Next
The selection show for the 2025 NCAA DI Women's Basketball Tournament is March 16 at 7 p.m. It will be televised on ESPN.
Notes
Iowa State's women's basketball all-time record moves to 889-677 (.568) and 34-39 (.466) in conference tournament games.Head coach Bill Fennelly's Iowa State record moves to 633-324 (.661) and his career record moves to 799-377 (.679).The Cyclones passed out 17 assists tonight, moving their season total to 636, the all-time single-season best by an Iowa State team. ISU’s previous best was 632 dimes in 2000-01.Addy Brown recorded her 500th point and 250th rebound of the season tonight.She is one of just 28 players in NCAA Division I women’s basketball since 1999-2000 to record 500 points, 250 rebounds and 150 assists in a season.Audi Crooks’ 30 points marked the 65th straight game of her career scoring in double figures and her 22nd game this season with 20-plus points.Her 65-game streak of 10-plus points is the all-time best by a Cyclones, edging Angie Welle’s (2000-02) 64 games.Crooks’ 763 points this season also set an Iowa State single-season record.She has totaled 1,398 career points, the 18th all-time best total by an Iowa State women’s basketball player.Emily Ryan has played in 151 career games, the second-best all-time mark by a Cyclone behind Ashley Joens’ best 158 games.She passed out five assists tonight, moving her career total to 982 dimes, just five from matching the eighth all-time NCAA women’s basketball total and six from the all-time Big 12 lead.Sydney Harris scored her 900th career point with her first points of the game.Alisa Williams pulled down her 100th career rebound.
