NIU women’s basketball (2-7) dropped its third consecutive game in blowout fashion, falling in a 105-52 blowout to the undefeated Iowa State University Cyclones (10-0).
The Huskies took on the No. 10 team in the nation on Sunday and the nation’s leading scorer, junior center Audi Crooks, who is averaging 27.3 points per game.
The Huskies were missing junior forward Navaeh Wingate for the game, the team’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer.
NIU had another poor night from beyond the arch, shootigng 5/19 for a 26.3% clip. The Huskies shot just 36.4% from the field in Sunday’s loss.
The Huskies were able to keep the game close through most of the first quarter, trailing 11-9 around the halfway mark.
“They came out fighting, they came out aggressive and we scored right off the bat,” said NIU women’s basketball head coach Jacey Brooks. “So, I was really happy with our effort. I had a feeling that we could get worn down a little bit but I would say that was a very good team and I’m just proud of our effort.”
An Iowa State 47-14 run ensued to end the half, which put the game out of reach early for NIU.
Entering halftime, the Huskies trailed the Cyclones by a score of 58-23. Senior forward Teresa Mbemba was the Huskies leading scorer with 7 first- half points.
Crooks matched the Huskies first half point total with 23 points of her own, needing just 14 minutes in the first half to put up as many points as NIU.
The nation’s leading scorer led all point scorers in the game with 30 points in just 19 minutes. Crooks totaled just five minutes in the second half and spent the entire fourth quarter on the bench.
“Audi Crooks is a heck of a player, to have 30 points in 19 minutes,” Brooks said. “She’s just so strong. I did think we did a better job on her in the second half with just limiting her to seven points. But, we continue to progress.”
The Huskies had two double-digit scorers in the game, Mbemba and senior guard Maria Serracanta, who both finished the game with 16 points.
Serracanta shot 70% from the field, going 7/10, as well as tying for the team lead in three-pointers made, going 2/4 from downtown.
“Really happy with her (Serracanta), she just has that veteran leadership,” Brooks said. “She has a good IQ, I think this helps with her confidence. I do think that she can look to score a little bit more consistently, instead of just looking to distribute the basketball. I think she proved tonight that she can score in multiple different ways.”
Mbemba led the team in free throw attempts, scoring six of her 16 points at the charity stripe. Mbemba shot 5/8 from the field and 6/8 from the free throw line.
Senior forward Marta Hermoso earned a spot in the starting lineup with Wingate inactive for Sunday’s game. Hermoso saw limited time on the floor due to foul trouble, fouling out of the game in just five minutes.
The Huskies next contest will be at 1 p.m. Sunday against the University of Purdue Fort Wayne in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The live broadcast will be available on ESPN+ and live stats will be available via SIDEARM Sports.
