SALT LAKE CITY ā A disjointed third quarter proved costly for the Utah women as Iowa State built up a 19-point lead and held on to defeat the Utes 79-72 on their home court.
The Cyclones outscored the Utes 30-18 in the third quarter behind 59% shooting from the field, while Utah struggled to connect on either ends of the floor. On offense, the Utes looked hesitant and out of sync, and shot 28% from field, while giving up four 3-pointers on the other end to help Iowa State pull away and build momentum.
Utah (16-8, 7-5 Big 12) eventually battled back in the final frame and outscored Iowa State 27-16, but it was too little, too late as the Cyclones (19-5, 7-5 Big 12) staved off the Utah rally.
"They came in here, and they really took advantage of our misscommunications, our lack of focus and intensity on the defensive end, and they capitalized on it," Utah head coach Gavin Petersen said. "Proud of our team for the fight they showed. But, unfortunately, we're still disconnected at home for whatever reason in the first and second quarter, like I don't know what the answer is."
Iowa State's Audi Crooks was limited to just 2 points in the first half behind a double-team effort from Utah's defense, but the Cyclones made up for the post pressure with a kickout to the 3-point line, where the team managed six triples in the first half.
Utah got lost several times off the double to Crooks, leaving Iowa State with many open looks to beat Utah's defense and force a change in strategy.
"We either blew a pick-and-roll coverage or were doubling from the wrong spot, and they just were able to kind of get momentum," Petersen said. "In all honesty, it was off a play where we shouldn't have doubled. We weren't supposed to, and somebody did, and they just threw it out.
"And that's how (Arianna) Jackson got going. And then as the game went on, (Sydney) Harris got going, and we still were not able to stay connected and rotate properly."
Jackson and Harris combined for eight of Iowa State 10 3-pointers in the game, with each finishing with 12 points in the win.
It was enough of a cushion to help Iowa State stay ahead against a usually potent Utah team from 3-point range. And then Crooks took over in the second half en route to a game-high 26 points and eight rebounds to lead the Cyclones.
"They did a really good job of not letting her get really good post position," Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly said of Utah's defense on Crooks. "They were holding her up the lane a little bit. Some early double teams screwed us up, and then she had a couple shots normally she would make ā she was 1-for-6 in the first half ā but really good.
"They had a really good plan, but I think the defense before she got the ball, combined with a double team, was really effective until we started making some shots in the third."
As a team, Utah shot 38% from the field and eventually made 10 3-pointers, but needed 32 attempts to get it done. Senior Lani White helped lead the way for the Utes with 19 points ā including four 3-pointers ā and eight rebounds. Reese Ross earned her fifth double-double of the season with a team-high 22 points and 12 rebounds.
But beyond the two veteran players, Utah struggled to get into a rhythm on offense and had no other player score in double digits. Several players looked hesitant to shoot while getting open looks, and others couldn't get their shots to fall.
That hesitancy was a frustration to Petersen, who said he continues to preach to "be shot ready" to his team.
Ross said the team simply "got away from Utah basketball ā inside-out threes." But some of that hesitancy, she said, was because of some early misses, which made the "rim get a little smaller."
"I think sometimes we rely so much on our shot-making ability to lead into how the rest of the game is going to go," Ross said. "Once we can just realize defense is just as important as offense, and we turn that just a little bit higher, like those shots are going to start to fall."
In the end, it was an Iowa State team that was simply better than Utah in what has been an up-and-down couple of weeks.
"I thought we played great. I really did," Fennelly said. "I'm so impressed with Utah's team; they're so hard to guard. They do such a great job here, and not surprised at all that we had a chance to knock them out and couldn't do it; that's credit to them. But huge road win for us against a really, really good team that I don't think anyone's going to want to see in the NCAA Tournament."
