These women’s basketball players posted big-time performances and were named to the NCAA.com starting five this week.
Audi Crooks, Iowa State
Iowa State sophomore Audi Crooks averaged 30.5 points as Iowa State split a pair of games last week.
Crooks poured in 31 points in a 75-69 setback at No. 21 Iowa on Dec. 11, shooting 14-of-22 from the field. The 6-3 center followed that up with 30 points Sunday night in an 87-55 home win over Eastern Illinois. It was the first time an Iowa State player has posted back-to-back 30-plus point games since Ashley Joens finished with 33 and 36 against Texas and UT Arlington, respectively, in March 2022.
The Algona, Iowa native leads Iowa State this season with 21.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. In 45 career games, she has scored in double figures 44 consecutive times and totaled 894 points.
Iowa State, 9-3, will travel to No. 4 UConn on Tuesday night before opening Big 12 Conference play at Oklahoma State on Dec. 21.
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Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Notre Dame scored wins over No. 2 UConn and Eastern Michigan as sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo averaged 28 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and 4.5 steals over the last week, shooting 58.1 percent from the floor, 53.3 percent from deep and a perfect 12-12 from the free throw line.
Hidalgo was the leading scorer in both contests and posted a near triple-double in the 79-68 home win over UConn on Dec. 12, with 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Included in her 29 points was a career-high six three-point field goals as Notre Dame scored its third win of the season over top-five competition.
In the 118-49 rout of East Michigan on Dec. 15, Hidalgo poured in 27 points while playing only 24 minutes, shooting 10-of-14 from the field.
Through 11 games, Hidalgo ranks second in the nation in scoring at 25.2 points per game.
Hidalgo and the Irish, 9-2, will return to action on Dec. 22, hosting Loyola Maryland.
Khamil Pierre, Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt sophomore Khamil Pierre put on one of the most memorable performances in school history, registering 42 points, 18 rebounds, and eight steals, all career-highs, in a 106-40 win over Evansville on Dec. 14.
The Commodores improved 10-1 on the season with the win as Pierre’s 42-point performance set a new program record for most points scored in a single game, passing the previous mark of 41 points shared by Chantelle Anderson (Feb. 8, 2001) and Ciaja Harbison (Jan. 29, 2023). The 42 points are the most scored in an NCAA Division I game this season, while it is the most points scored by a Southeastern Conference player since 2020. Pierre’s combined 60 points/rebounds are the most collected by a Vanderbilt player in a single game in program history. She also extended her career-long double-digit scoring streak to 13 games dating back to last season. Pierre also collected her eighth double-double of the season, which is tied for the sixth-most in a season since 1999-00.
The 6-2 forward started her day quickly against the Purple Aces, scoring 20 points in the first quarter, the most points scored by a Commodore in the first quarter in program history. Pierre’s eight steals against Evansville are tied for the sixth-most steals in a game in program history. Her 18 rebounds are tied for the 16th-most rebounds grabbed in a game by a Commodore in school history.
Pierre leads Vanderbilt this season in scoring (22.9), rebounds (11.8), and steals (4.0) per game. Pierre is the only player nationally to rank in the top five in all three categories, as she ranks third in rebounds and steals per game, while her 22.9 points per game average is fifth-best in Division I.
Vanderbilt will next play at Dayton on Dec. 19.
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Jordana Reisma, Cleveland State
Cleveland State remained perfect at home this season with wins against Bethune-Cookman and Wright State, with junior forward Jordana Reisma leading the way.
The Vikings, 9-2, picked up a 78-59 victory over Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 13 as Reisma finished with a career-high 25 points, going 11-for-13 from the field to mark her second 20-point game of the season. In addition, Reisma also added seven rebounds and four blocked shots on the game, with the four blocks moving her into a tie for sixth place on the Cleveland State career rebound list, with 90 total blocked shots.
Cleveland State improved to 3-0 in Horizon League play Monday, picking up an 85-71 victory at Wright State. Reisma was one of three players in double figures for the Vikings with 16 points.
For the year, Reisma currently ranks second among Division I players with a .691 field goal percentage, and is averaging 14.8 points per game. For her career, Reisma owns a .580 field goal percentage, which puts her at the top all-time at Cleveland State.
Cleveland State will next travel to the Puerto Rico Clasico to play Morgan State on Dec. 19.
Shaulana Wagner, Troy
Troy senior guard Shaulana Wagner became the first Trojan women’s basketball player, since Troy went to Division I, to record a triple-double with a 12-point, 11-assist, 10-rebound stat line in a 85-67 win over Memphis on Dec. 14.
Troy improved to 5-5 in nonconference play with the 18-point win over Memphis, with Wagner totaling her 12 points on 6-of-13 from the field. The 11 assists were a career-high, with Wagner becoming the first Trojan to have double-digit assists since Sharonica Hartsfield had 10 (Ball State – Nov. 11, 2023). She made history in the final four minutes, securing four rebounds, including her 10th with 1:05 remaining to secure the triple-double. Her triple-double ties her with 11 players nationally who have also accomplished the feat this season in Division I. Wagner also currently ranks 17th in the country in assists at 5.8 per game, with her per-game average also leading the Sun Belt Conference.
Troy and Wagner return to action on Dec. 18, playing Toledo in the first round of the 2024 Cherokee Tournament (Cherokee, N.C.) against Toledo.
