The No. 10 Iowa State suffered its second loss of the season.

The Cyclones struggled, shooting 35.8% compared to their opponent’s 50%. As a result, they fell in a 71–63 upset to the Cincinnati Bearcats, marking their first ranked win of the season. But while the Cyclones lost, their leading scorer still managed to capture the spotlight!

She recorded her sixth straight game with 20-plus points, scoring 23. Not just that, she was also named to the 2025–26 John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List by the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Now, she’s a two-time Wooden Award watch list member. And to justify her name on the list, former NFL player Pat McAfee waved a green flag, too.

On Tuesday’s edition of The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN, he shared, “I’m a huge fan of the way she operates. Huge fan… She just gets buckets. That’s literally all she does.”

He added, “Did I know anything about Iowa State’s women’s basketball team ever? Nope. But Audi Crooks highlights pop up on my algorithm.”

Well, Crooks is definitely an offensive weapon. She’s leading the country with 29.1 points per game, 408 points, and 169 field goals. She has finished six straight games with 30-plus points while shooting at least 60% from the floor.

In fact, with her 23 points against Cincinnati, she extended her double-figure scoring streak to 82, which is also the longest active streak in NCAA women’s basketball. It also marked her 53rd career 20-point game.

She even passed Megan Taylor and Lindsey Wilson on the Cyclones’ all-time scoring list as she moved her career total to 1,886 points.

So yes, the praise is definitely worth it, especially considering it’s her best season. But while she’s been incredible through the first 16 games, it hasn’t been enough to grab wins for the Cyclones, as the team is now on an L2.

How the Cyclones Lost Against the Bearcats

The Bearcats started the game strong. They went up early, but Iowa State stayed close and continued to cut into the lead. By the end of the first quarter, the Bearcats were still ahead by three points.

Then Iowa State briefly took the lead early in the second quarter, but Cincinnati immediately hit a three-pointer to regain control. And as the Cyclones struggled to make shots in the first half, Cincinnati led 33–28 at halftime.

But in the third quarter, the Cyclones came out hot and took the lead. Then, the two teams went back and forth, trading baskets and leads.

But all efforts failed as Cincinnati ended the quarter slightly ahead at 51–48. Early in the fourth quarter, the Bearcats hit several three-pointers in a row and built a bigger lead. While the Cyclones tried to fight back, the Bearcats stayed steady and maintained their advantage. In the end, Cincinnati closed the game strong and won 71–63.

Well, that’s a major setback for Crooks and Iowa State, who had recorded 14 wins over their last 16 games. Still, they’ve got a chance. Next up, they lock horns with West Virginia.

Written by

Yashika Dutta

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu