Iowa State’s Audi Crooks first announced her presence to the college basketball world two seasons ago when she dropped 40 points on Maryland as a freshman in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Crooks made an impressive 18 of her 20 shots from the field and spearheaded the seventh-seeded Cyclones’ 20-point comeback against the 10th-seeded Terrapins.
Fast forward to Wednesday night, Crooks delivered another stunning performance, scoring 43 points while playing 14 fewer minutes than during her Round of 64 showcase. The 6-foot-3 center set a program record by putting up those 43 points in just 20 minutes, fueling a dominant 97-50 victory over Valparaiso.
In addition to her scoring, Crooks contributed 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block on 18-of-23 shooting. She also made 7-of-9 attempts from the free-throw line as the No. 16 Cyclones improved to 4-0 on the season. Her 43 points surpassed the previous Iowa State single-game record held by Tonya Burns, who scored 42 against Nebraska on January 18, 1984.
Crooks wasn’t the only standout scorer on Wednesday. Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo eclipsed the 40-point mark as well, tallying 44 points along with an NCAA-record 16 steals, helping the No. 18 Fighting Irish blow out Akron.
As for Crooks, she reached a significant milestone earlier this season by surpassing 1,500 career points. Her impact on the Cyclones has been profound from the start. As a freshman, she played a major role in guiding Iowa State to the Big 12 Tournament title game. She then improved her game as a sophomore, leading the conference with an average of 23.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, earning All-American honors.
This season, Crooks has been consistently impressive, scoring at least 20 points in each of the first four games. With her 43-point outburst against Valparaiso, she is now averaging 28.3 points per game, continuing to establish herself as one of college basketball’s premier players.
https://sports.yahoo.com/womens-college-basketball/breaking-news/article/audi-crooks-goes-for-program-record-43-points-in-20-minutes-as-no-16-iowa-state-races-past-valparaiso-030859871.html
