Iowa State women's basketball: Addy Brown jumpstarts Cyclones to victory over BYU

Iowa State women’s basketball: Addy Brown jumpstarts Cyclones to victory over BYU

Posted by author January 23, 2025 Basketball

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AMES – After knocking down a second-quarter layup and getting fouled on the bucket, Iowa State women’s basketball player Addy Brown let out a giant celebratory scream.

The big basket the Cyclones had been waiting a quarter and a half for, had finally come.

Brown’s layup was the start of 11-straight points she scored and helped jumpstart some early game struggles for Iowa State during an 82-59 victory over BYU at Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday night.

“After that, we started to kind of go,” Brown said. “So, it was definitely a turning point.”

Brown finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. The Cyclones improved to 14-7 and 5-3 in Big 12 Conference play.

The victory was a big bounce-back performance after Iowa State was clobbered at No. 20 West Virginia on Sunday, when the team was without star point guard Emily Ryan.

Ryan, who was battling an illness over the weekend, returned to the court Wednesday against BYU. But it was Brown who helped save the day after the Cyclones fell into an early first-quarter hole. BYU connected on six of its first eight shots and went on a 15-4 run to open the game. Iowa State fell behind 23-17 on a 3-pointer by BYU’s Kemery Congdon.

“Even though we started slow, I didn’t think we were playing poorly,” said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly. “We just weren’t making shots.”

Iowa State eventually did. The Cyclones started to pick up momentum when Kelsey Joens later connected on a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one point, 23-22. Then, Brown took over.

The sophomore star made four straight shots, starting with the layup and free throw to jumpstart an 8-0 run. Brown connected on a jumper to give the Cyclones a 27-25 lead, their first of the game. She later drained a 3-pointer, part of her 11-point run, to give Iowa State a 33-28 lead which it would never relinquish.

“Addy Brown, she did a number on us,” said BYU coach Amber Whiting.

Brown got Iowa State going, but she eventually got plenty of help. The Cyclones opened up the third quarter with a 10-0 run to take control of the game. A 3-pointer by Sydney Harris pushed the lead to 45-33 early in the third quarter.

Iowa State outscored BYU 28-11 in the third quarter and three players scored in double figures on the night. Audi Crooks, who had just eight points in the first half, finished with a game-high 24. Harris added 11 points and Ryan finished with four points, six rebounds and three assists in her first game back.

“I think after the first quarter, we did a lot of things really, really well,” Fennelly said. “All the stats kind of show that.”

Iowa State returns to the court Saturday against UCF at Hilton Coliseum. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT. Saturday’s game marks the end of an important week for the Cyclones, who have a chance to make up ground in the Big 12 race and improve their resume for the NCAA Tournament.

“This is a big week for us,” Fennelly said.

Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468