Cyclones Blow Past Arizona in Foul-Filled Rout, Behind Jada Williams’ Hot Hand and Deep Bench Support
AMES - By the end of Saturday’s game, the Iowa State pep band’s familiar chant - “left, right, left, right…” - had become the soundtrack to a rare scene. Arizona, down to just four eligible players, watched helplessly as the Cyclones closed out a dominant 90-65 win in front of 10,165 fans at Hilton Coliseum.
Yes, you read that right - five Wildcats fouled out. The game finished as a five-on-four mismatch, the kind of thing you don’t see outside of practice drills or youth league blowouts.
“Obviously you don’t plan for that,” Cyclones head coach Bill Fennelly said. “You don’t have plays for that.
You just want the game to get over. If (the officials) got paid by the foul call, they made some good money.”
In total, 44 fouls were called - and 31 of them went against Arizona. That stat line tells you a lot about the physicality, the frustration, and ultimately, the unraveling of a Wildcats team that’s now dropped seven of its last eight. First-year head coach Becky Burke didn’t sugarcoat it: “We have a fouling problem right now.”
Iowa State, on the other hand, had no such issues. The Cyclones (16-5, 4-5 Big 12) were locked in from the opening tip, shooting a blistering 71.4% in the first half and jumping out to a 53-29 lead by the break. It was the second straight 25-point win for Iowa State, who seems to be shaking off a midseason slump that included a five-game losing streak - their longest in a decade.
At the heart of it all? Jada Williams, who’s playing like a woman on a mission - and with a little extra motivation against her former team.
Williams followed up her 44-point explosion against Cincinnati with a team-high 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting. That’s 70% shooting over the last two games for the Arizona transfer, who’s suddenly found another gear.
And she did it all while battling an illness that nearly kept her out of the lineup.
“We found out probably 45 minutes before the game that she wanted to try it,” Fennelly said. “She’s a tough kid.
She loves to play. She’s as tough as any kid on our team.”
Even with the flu, Williams looked composed and in control, adding seven assists and four rebounds to her efficient scoring night. She set the tone early and never let up, slicing through Arizona’s defense with a mix of craft and confidence that had to sting for her former teammates.
But this wasn’t a one-woman show. Audi Crooks, the Cyclones’ standout center, poured in 17 points in just 18 minutes - foul trouble limited her floor time, but not her impact. Arianna Jackson, recently back in the lineup, chipped in 15 points and knocked down four threes, stretching the defense and giving ISU another reliable perimeter threat.
And then there was the bench - deep, productive, and decisive. Sydney Harris and Alisa Williams combined for 26 points, with Harris going 3-for-5 from beyond the arc.
Reese Beaty added five points and six assists off the bench, helping the Cyclones build a 32-11 edge in bench scoring. That kind of depth doesn’t just win you games - it wears opponents down.
“When you have a lot of (scorers), they’ve gotta pick their poison of what they’re gonna guard,” Harris said. “So I think this just was a really good showcase of what our team is made of.”
It was more than a showcase - it was a statement. Iowa State looked like a team that’s rediscovered its rhythm and its edge. After a rough stretch in conference play, the Cyclones now have back-to-back blowout wins, a red-hot star guard, and a bench that’s stepping up in a big way.
Next up? A road test at No.
19 Texas Tech on Wednesday. It’s a tough matchup, no doubt.
But for the first time in weeks, Iowa State is walking into a big game with momentum - and maybe even a little swagger.
“We had a good week,” Fennelly said. “We needed a good week.”
They got one. Now we’ll see if they can turn it into something more.