Crooks’ anecdote 40 pts. in tourney debut spur

Audi Crooks grabbed the Iowa Swear nameplate and emphatically positioned it on the gigantic NCAA match bracket board, into the predicament for the 2d spherical.

She totally earned the likelihood to preserve out so.

“That used to be so fun, my teammates soaked me in water,” she said, peaceful grinning from ear to ear some half-hour later.

The freshman star scored a career-high 40 capabilities — the most by a freshman in girls’s NCAA match history — on 18-for-20 shooting, and No. 7 seed Iowa Swear hit the total gigantic shots within the 2d half of to rally from 20 capabilities down and beat tenth-seeded Maryland 93-86 on Friday night.

The 20-level comeback marked the 2d-ideal all time in a girls’s NCAA match game, trailing totally Texas A&M overcoming a 21-level deficit to beat Penn in 2017.

“I believed that used to be surely one of the most most intriguing games I’ve ever been a allotment of,” Iowa Swear coach Bill Fennelly said, praising his group’s poise to cost relief. “So overjoyed with our group, happy for them.”

Fighting tears, Crooks shared how she takes a moment before every game to be non secular, pray and keep in mind her father Jimmie, who died when she used to be 16 in 2021. She dedicated to Iowa Swear rapidly after that, and Fennelly even went to her favorite Mexican restaurant all one of the most simplest ways by the recruiting process even though it be no longer his favorite fare.

“I’m suitable grateful. I will no longer teach thank you ample to the of us that I’m surrounded by,” Crooks said. “Within the occasion you would perchance well perchance be surrounded by of us that you delight in, that care about you, that trust you as a lot as they mutter out getting you the ball, that speaks volumes to how we play as a unit.”

Crooks grew to turn out to be suitable the fourth player in Iowa Swear program history to obtain 40 capabilities in a game. Her performance marked the most capabilities in an NCAA debut within the previous 25 years and 2d most in a debut all time.

Emily Ryan knocked down a key 3-pointer with 6:06 last and done with 18 capabilities while meting out 14 assists as Iowa Swear saved pounding the ball interior to the ever-legitimate Crooks — even when it resulted in a handful of unhurried turnovers.

Crooks, this contrivance’s first freshman to kind AP All-The US honors alongside with her honorable mention selection this week, came in leading the group averaging 18.9 capabilities and 7.7 rebounds and grew to turn out to be the 16th player to obtain 40 or more this season. She had 12 rebounds in opposition to Maryland.

“She dropped 40 on 20 shots, that is pretty leer-popping factual there,” Ryan said of declaring the stat sheet to her teammates. “It used to be a special night for her as well to our group. It couldn’t have came about to a larger particular person. … After we throw it in there, she will be able to get it on every occasion.”

Crooks grew to turn out to be the most principal player in girls’s NCAA match history to obtain 40 capabilities on 90% discipline goal shooting, and she tied Brittney Griner for the most capabilities by a Mountainous 12 player within the history of the match.

Allie Mug knocked down all 5 of her 3-pointers within the most principal half of and done with seven from long fluctuate on the manner to a season-totally 29 capabilities, and it looked delight in Maryland would possibly bustle a ways from the Cyclones.

As a replace, it be Iowa Swear (21-11) advancing to play Sunday for a voice within the Portland Regional. The Cyclones will face 2d-seeded Stanford (29-5) after the Cardinal beat No. 15 Norfolk Swear seventy 9-50 in Friday’s unhurried game at Maples Pavilion.

Kelsey Joens hit a tying 3-pointer with 3:20 left within the third quarter as Iowa Swear worn a 10-0 bustle to bag relief within the game, and Crooks’ three-level play on the two:50 effect put the Cyclones forward 62-61 before she scored all over again the next time down.

Kubek’s hot hand from 3-level fluctuate obtained Maryland (19-14) going early from the perimeter, and the Terrapins needed to appear at out to kind things annoying on the 6-foot-3 Crooks within the low put up as she came in shooting an NCAA-totally 58.4% from the ground.

“I’d teach it be surely one of the most totally I’ve ever viewed eager on the capabilities, the efficiency, the venue, the match,” Fennelly said.

Maryland made 9 3s within the most principal half of, its most in any half of this season, and the 11 total 3s were the Terrapins’ high.

This used to be a teaching reunion between discontinuance friends. Fennelly hired now-Terrapins coach Brenda Frese on his first workforce in Ames, and she stayed with this contrivance from 1995 to 1999. They posed for a picture before the game.

“Or no longer it’s abominable. Brenda’s allotment of my household,” Fennelly said of beating his pricey friend.

The applications had by no manner met beforehand — and Frese’s group reached its 14th straight NCAA match after an upset of Ohio Swear within the Mountainous Ten match before losing to Nebraska.

“We’re in actuality upset and unhappy for our fifth-year seniors that we couldn’t discontinuance this out,” said Frese, whose groups had by no manner lost within the most principal spherical all one of the most simplest ways by her tenure dating to 2002.

ESPN Stats & Files and The Associated Press contributed to this file.