A physically strong and high-scoring Iowa State team came into Kansas State’s house for its last home game before the Big 12 Tournament. 

The Cyclones’ star player, Audi Crooks, who put up an astounding 41 points against the Wildcats, was matched up against K-State’s Jordan Speiser, battling each possession. 

“I thought Jordan battled like crazy,” K-State head coach Jeff Mittie said. “I didn’t think it affected her offensively either. Most of the time, you put in that much energy down there on that kind of player, so I thought she played well at both ends.”

The Cyclones went off during the second half, shooting 54.5% in the third quarter and 66.7% during the fourth. With high shooting percentages and being outsized, K-State had a hard time keeping up with Iowa State, specifically in the latter two quarters.

In the first quarter, Gina Garcia got the white-and-purple jerseys going as she splashed a three-pointer to take the lead 3-2.

The Wildcats came out in an early press, trying to force turnovers. K-State was able to get 13 points off turnovers during the first half and pushed that to 26 points by the time the buzzer sounded.

“Our only answer was enough guard pressure where we created some turnovers,” Mittie said. “But if they got settled in the half-court, we didn’t have an answer.”

The Wildcats went into a scoring drought of 2:14 before Speiser hit a quick three to cut Iowa State’s lead to five points, 21-16. Spieser would knock down another three-pointer, along with Nastja Claessens, but even with three made shots from beyond the arc, the Cyclones led the first quarter 26-22. 

Points were spread throughout the K-State roster during the first half of play. At the end of the day, Speiser led with 17 points, one assist and three steals. Coming in right behind, Tess Heal had 16 points, three assists and four steals. Also in double digits, Taryn Sides and Garcia had a combined 25 points.

The second quarter was bleeding purple as the Wildcats outscored Iowa State 21-11. 

Knocking down a pair of free throws, Heal tied the game, 28-28, and put K-State up by one at the 8:34 mark before the break.

The Wildcats would continue the momentum started by Heal with a 16-3 run, lasting close to five minutes of play. 

K-State made several fluid plays throughout the stretch, including a Speiser steal and a short lob pass to Garcia for an easy layup. 

The last three possessions before halftime included a drained three-pointer from Anyia’ Foy, along with a pair of free throws made by Garcia.

After getting down to business in the second quarter, K-State went into the break leading, 43-37.

Coming back for the third 10 minutes of play, the Cyclones put up an impressive 28 points compared to the Wildcats’ 19.

Four ties happened after the break, with both teams keeping the other close. With 6:38 remaining in the third quarter, Garcia splashed in a three-point shot, tying the game at 51-51.

A pair of free throws by Heal, along with a fast break layup by Garcia, allowed K-State to lead by two.

Iowa State would steal the lead back, however, as Audi Crooks had a tip-in and layup to round out the third quarter and lead the Wildcats 65-62.

K-State struggled to score during the fourth quarter, going through scoring droughts that the Cyclones took advantage of. 

“We just didn’t get enough chaos in the second half,” Mittie said.

Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Heal knocked down a three-pointer, tying the game 65-65 before Iowa State would take control and extend their lead to double digits.

The Wildcats had their lowest scoring quarter with 17 points, while the Cyclones had another high-scoring quarter with 28. 

Sides made her only three of the day, which brought K-State within one, 71-70. But that’s as close as Iowa State would allow before burying the ‘Cats in a 14-point deficit and taking K-State’s last home game, 93-79.

“Basketball’s like life,” Heal said. “You got to move on quickly. Things happen, and you just got to get on your bike and think about the next thing. Whoever we play on Wednesday, our focus will be on them. And then get a win there and play on Thursday and we’ll focus on that one and just take it day by day.”

K-State will be seeded at the No. 12 spot for the Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Wildcats will match up against No. 13 Cincinnati at 11 a.m. on March 4. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.