AMES – The first week of the season is officially in the books for the Iowa State women’s basketball team.
And the Cyclones are right where they were expected to be.
Ninth-ranked Iowa State improved to 3-0 with an 84-56 victory over Southern at Hilton Coliseum on Sunday.
Addy Brown scored 21 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and handed out four assists for the Cyclones. Audi Crooks added 17 points and 11 rebounds for Iowa State.
It capped off what was far from a flawless opening week for Iowa State, which had its share of ups and downs at times. But it did end with a perfect record.
After beating Chicago State in the season opener on Monday, Iowa State struggled to shoot the ball in the second game of the season, a victory over Indiana State on Thursday.
But the Cyclones got back on track Sunday.
Brown, who connected on her first seven shots of the game, shot 8-for-9 from the field including 3-of-4 from 3-point range.
She was instrumental in Iowa State’s strong start. The Cyclones opened the game with a 17-0 run that was capped off on a 3-pointer by Brown at the top of the key. Iowa State led 23-13 at the end of the first quarter.
Still, Sunday wasn’t perfect for the Cyclones, either. Some midgame struggles kept Iowa State from putting the game away as quickly as it could have.
Southern pulled within 30-24 of Iowa State with a 7-0 run in the second quarter. The Cyclones responded with a 3-pointer from Sydney Harris. They closed out the quarter with a 12-2 run to take a 47-28 lead into halftime.
Harris, who tallied 11 points, connected on two more 3s during a 9-0 run in the third quarter that gave Iowa State a 66-44 lead.
Emily Ryan finished with eight points, five rebounds and 10 assists for the Cyclones.
Iowa State’s next game is Thursday against St. Thomas at Hilton Coliseum.
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468
