The Cyclones wreaked havoc on the Terrapins with a historic second half comeback. And Audi Crooks was at the center of the storm.
The true freshman turned in a stellar performance, scoring 40 points and shooting a surreal 18-of-20 from the field. She also had a double-double, notching a game-best 12 rebounds and leading all players with a pair of blocks.
No. 10 Maryland led No. 7 Iowa State 50-30 with 1:28 to play in the first half and the two teams went into the locker rooms at halftime with the Terrapins up 52-36. It appeared it was just going to be Maryland's night over a young Iowa State team.
But Crooks and the Cyclones had other ideas. Crooks scored 22 points in the second half, and Iowa outscored the Terrapins 57-34, pulling off the second-largest comeback in an NCAA Tournament game after Texas A&M's 21-point comeback in 2017 against Penn.
"At halftime coach [Bill Fennelly] told us what we do is up to us," Crooks said after the game. "The way that this falls, if this is how we want to go out, that's up to us. What happens on the floor is our responsibility. It's our fault. They can't play the game for us, and it was just a matter of pride just knowing that we weren't playing to our best abilities, and then going out there showing what we can do and we did that."
Perhaps most impressive, and indicative of the bright future ahead in Iowa State, was that Friday marked Crooks' first NCAA Tournament game. Her 40 points were the most for a player making the NCAA Tournament debut over the past 25 years, per ESPN's Alexa Philippou, and the second-most all-time behind only Barbara Kennedy's 43, which came in the first NCAA women's basketball tournament — she was a senior during the campaign.
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Additionally, Crooks became the first player in Tournament history to score at least 40 points while making 90 percent of her attempts from the field.
Here's everything you need to know about Iowa State's freshman basketball star.
Who is Audi Crooks?
Crooks is a true freshman center for Iowa State. In her debut year, Crooks was named an honorable mention AP All-American, becoming the first Iowa State freshman to gain All-American status.
She did not immediately begin the season as the starter, instead not getting her first nod in the starting five until Game No. 5 of the season. Since then, she hasn't looked back. Crooks has scored double-digit points in every game since being named a starter. She also has eight double-doubles.
How tall is Audi Crooks?
Iowa State lists Crooks as standing 6-3.
Audi Crooks high school
Crooks went to Bishop Garrigan High in Algona, Iowa. Coming out of high school, she was rated No. 57 on the 2023 HoopGurlz Recruiting espnW 100.
While in high school, Crooks was a two-time Class 1A state champion, a two-time Class 1A all-tournament team captain and a four-time Class 1A all-tournament team member, per her school bio.
She wasn't just a standout basketball player, however. Crooks also played volleyball and track & field, and she was a two-time Class 1A shot put state champion in 2021 and 2023.
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Audi Crooks parents
Crooks is the daughter of Jimmie Crooks and Michelle Cook. Both her parents were standout basketball players in their high-school days, as Jimmie Crooks was a 6-8 forward who averaged 14.5 points for Fort Dodger in 1984-85, according to The Messenger. Cook was the all-time leading scorer at Bishop Garrigan High in Algona, Iowa, when she left school, though the record has since been re-set. Both Crooks' parents wore No. 55, Crooks' current number.
Jimmie Crooks died on Aug. 14, 2021, at the age of 55.
"Before every game, I just try to take a moment and I pray and I am kind of seeking guidance from my father, he passed away when I was 16 in 2021. So I just try to kinda take a second and ground myself and tap into my spiritual side and just know that everything's going to be OK and he's got the best seat in the house," Audi Crooks said after Friday's win.
Audi Crooks stats
Crooks has been a star all season for the young Cyclones. Here's a look at her impressive numbers this season:
- 18.9 points per game
- 7.7 rebounds per game
- 1.1 assists per game
- 0.5 steals per game
- 0.5 blocks per game
- 58.4 percent field-goal shooting
- 33.3 percent 3-point shooting
- 66.3 percent free-throw shooting
