Iowa
Iowa State women’s basketball: Cyclones running out of time to tally marquee win
Addy Brown talks about Iowa State’s missed shots against K-State and TCU
Iowa State’s Addy Brown on her team nearly knocking off Kansas State and TCU
AMES – The Iowa State women’s basketball team is running out of opportunities to tally a much-needed marquee victory this season. The Cyclones suffered their second ranked loss of the week with an 82-69 defeat to No. 9 TCU at Hilton Coliseum on Sunday.
With the loss, Iowa State fell to 15-9 on the season including 6-5 in Big 12 Conference play. The Cyclones dropped to 0-6 against ranked opponents and have yet to pick up a Quad 1 victory to spruce up their NCAA Tournament resume. Which means time is ticking for Iowa State to get one.
“Obviously we don’t feel great about that,” Iowa State’s Audi Crooks said of the week that also included a loss at No. 11 Kansas State. “That’s not how we planned on the week going. However, that is the reality. That is the situation. We had opportunities in both games to honestly win the games.”
Iowa State couldn’t capitalize on either of them, and that has left the Cyclones’ postseason future hanging in the balance. The Cyclones entered Sunday’s game with TCU on the NCAA Tournament bubble in ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme’s latest projections.
Creme, who had the Cyclones among his last four teams in, told the Register earlier in the week that Iowa State could possibly get off the bubble if it could pick up a victory over Kansas State or TCU.
Iowa State has struggled against ranked opponents throughout the season, getting pummeled by South Carolina, UConn and West Virginia and losing a closer game at Iowa.
While Iowa State hasn’t suffered any truly ugly losses so far this season, the Cyclones are in desperate need of picking up a signature win. They nearly got it when they took Kansas State to overtime on Thursday. The Cyclones had a chance to win the game but a 3-pointer by point guard Emily Ryan was off the mark.
Iowa State then had its chances Sunday. The Cyclones held TCU star Sedona Prince scoreless before she fouled out. Iowa State trailed by one at halftime and cut TCU’s lead to four in the fourth quarter. But the Cyclones couldn’t get the lead. The loss felt similar to the game at K-State.
“We’re right there in the game, throughout almost the whole game,” said Iowa State’s Addy Brown. “Like, we’ve just got to clean up the little things, a few things, five to eight minutes worth of the game and the game is ours.”
Iowa State’s Audi Crooks talks about her team’s loss to TCU
Iowa State’s Audi Crooks looks back on her team’s loss to TCU
The near-upsets may ultimately help the Cyclones, who are benefiting from what Creme believes is a weak bubble group this season. Losing to K-State and TCU may not prevent Iowa State from getting in. But it did stop the Cyclones from potentially solidifying a spot.
Now the Cyclones are running out of chances to improve their resume. Iowa State has just one more ranked opponent on its schedule, the regular-season finale with Kansas State at home on March 2. The Cyclones also travel to Baylor, which would be a nice victory. But Wednesday’s game at Cincinnati and Saturday’s contest with Colorado likely won’t do much to help Iowa State’s resume.
The Cyclones also have Kansas, Houston and UCF remaining. Those games won’t help Iowa State’s resume, but an ugly loss would certainly hurt it. Iowa State has done a good job of beating the teams it’s supposed to beat. The Cyclones will try to continue that trend.
While Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly said he doesn’t pay attention to his team’s postseason picture or games down the line, he did acknowledge there are still possibilities for his team to make up ground.
“If you look at the big picture, we don’t have a bad loss … and we have whatever, seven more opportunities to play in a Big 12 game,” Fennelly said. “There’s still opportunities there for us to do some good things.”
Crooks scored 29 points, but needed 26 shots to do it
Iowa State’s sophomore star poured in 29 points, grabbed six rebounds and handed out two assists in the loss. But Crooks was not efficient with her shots, connecting on just 12-of-26 from the field. Finishing near the basket was a big issue for the Cyclones, and it certainly plagued Crooks for most of Sunday.
“You can’t miss 14 shots around the basket,” Fennelly said.
Crooks and Addy Brown carried the scoring load for Iowa State
Crooks and Addy Brown combined to score 60 of Iowa State’s 69 points. Brown finished with 31 on 11-of-16 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range. Then there was the 29-point performance from Crooks.
The problem for the Cyclones: Hardly anyone else contributed.
Kelsey Joens and Arianna Jackson both chipped in with three points. Emily Ryan added two. Alisa Williams had one. The eight other players who saw the court combined to shoot just 2-of-9 from the field. Crooks and Brown combined for 86.9% of Iowa State’s scoring and had all 33 of Iowa State’s second-half points.
“Obviously we’ve got to have some people step up and I think they’re more than capable,” Brown said. “We’re just waiting. We’re believing in them and we’re just going to have the utmost confidence in them because that’s what they need and I think they’re more than capable and they’re going to step up because that’s what the coaches are asking them to do.”
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
How much rain does Des Moines get? See the 5 wettest days on record
Wondering how the rainfall total compares? Here are the five wettest days on record for Des Moines, Iowa.
Drought conditions in Iowa improved for a second consecutive week, though areas of moderate drought expanded in parts of the state.
The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday. What are the current drought conditions in Iowa?
U.S. Drought Monitor map: How much of Iowa is in a drought?
The latest Drought Monitor report, released on Thursday, June 18, showed about 46% of Iowa experiencing some form of drought. This continues the streak of conditions improving week to week in Iowa. The previous report, released on June 11, showed that 63% of the state was experiencing some form of drought.
The most recent report reflects conditions as of 8 a.m. June 16, right as storms were sweeping through Iowa, with parts of eastern Iowa seeing more than 2 inches of rainfall. Light rainfall on June 17 led to areas like Iowa City and Burlington reporting around an inch of rain.
Here is the breakdown of current drought conditions in Iowa:
- 61% of the state of Iowa is experiencing no drought conditions
- 39% of Iowa is experiencing abnormally dry conditions
- 7% of Iowa is experiencing moderate drought conditions
- 0% of Iowa is experiencing severe drought conditions
Even though drought conditions have improved overall in Iowa, the area experiencing moderate drought increased from the week of June 11, particularly in northern Iowa. Much of Cerro Gordo, Hancock and Kossuth counties are under D1 conditions, with nearby Palo Alto, Winnebago, Floyd and Mitchell also in moderate drought.
Pockets of moderate drought also persist along the northwest edge of Iowa in Lyon, Sioux and Plymouth counties. In eastern Iowa, Jackson, Clinton and Scott counties saw their moderate drought status ease week to week.
Most of the U.S. is facing drought conditions
About 73% of the U.S. is experiencing some level of drought, a 2-percentage-point improvement from the prior week. Some of the most intense drought conditions are in the southeast and the mountain west.
Iowa Drought Monitor tracks conditions weekly
The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday.
The intensity levels range from abnormally dry, or D0, to exceptional drought, or D4.
Typically with D0 conditions, corn can show drought stress. Pond levels start to decline under moderate drought conditions and soybeans abort pods, according to the Drought Monitor. The Drought Monitor also has a look-back chart that compares drought conditions from 3 months ago up to 1 year ago.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
Confirmed tornadoes were reported in Illinois and Iowa Wednesday night as severe weather descended on a large swath of the Midwest.
According to the National Weather Service, a confirmed tornado was reported near the small northeast Iowa community of Harpers Ferry at 5:10 p.m., while a second confirmed tornado rolled through Charleston in central Illinois at about 6:40 p.m. local time.
Both tornadoes were flagged by the weather service as a “particularly dangerous situation,” a rare designation used by the weather service for environments in which “strong and violent tornadoes” are possible.
Photos and videos obtained by CBS News showed extensive damage in Charleston, with downed trees and power lines. Hail that measured 2.75 inches was also reported in the Charleston area, according to the weather service.
“There are a large number of trees blocking roadways throughout Charleston at this time,” Charleston police said in a Facebook post. “Unless it is an absolute emergency, do not drive or attempt to go anywhere.”
The city of Charleston later declared a local state of emergency.
One cell phone video captured the terrifying moments what appeared to be a large tornado tore through Effingham, Illinois, located about 40 miles southwest of Charleston.
Larry Thies, coordinator for the Effingham Emergency Management Agency, told CBS News that initial information indicated damaged buildings, trailers, and downed power lines and trees. He said officials were working to set up an emergency operations center, but were facing challenges because internet was down in the area.
The extent of the damage to region was still unclear. There was no immediate word of injuries or fatalities. CBS News senior meteorologist Rob Marciano said there were at least seven reported tornadoes during the weather event.
According to utility tracker PowerOutage.us, at least 55,000 customers were without power in Illinois.
Earlier Wednesday, Marciano reported that more than 125 million Americans were facing severe weather advisories, including the Gulf Coast states, which were under flood alerts due to Tropical Storm Arthur. Speaking on “CBS Evening News,” Marciano said such ripe tornado conditions were rare for June.
“This is unique for June, this is unusual to have such a strong jet stream just screaming across the country, then you’ve got the summertime tropical moisture coming in…and then some cold air coming in,” Marciano said. “And winds coming at different direction, at different levels, creating that spin. So what that equates to is really the high probability of seeing, not just tornadoes, but intense tornadoes of EF2 strength or higher on the ground for a long time. And also damaging winds at 75 mph or higher, and of course big time hail.”
When is Juneteenth and how is the holiday celebrated
Juneteenth is coming up. Here is what the holiday is about and how it’s celebrated.
It is a busy weekend in Iowa City as summer officially begins on Sunday. From Iowa City Pride and Juneteenth celebrations, there is no shortage of activity happening around town.
Here are four events to check out.
Enter the whimsical world of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at Lower City Park
Thursday to Sunday: Riverside Theatre’s summer tradition, Shakespeare in the Park, has returned to Lower City Park. Catch a free performance of William Shakespeare’s iconic comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” that follows the chaotic events of four entangled lovers and a troupe of actors wandering into a mystical forest. All of the free shows through the weekend start at 7:30 p.m.
Celebrate Juneteenth with live entertainment and community
Friday: The Black Voices Project and Dream City are teaming up to host the community-wide Juneteenth Celebration. At 1 p.m. Friday, June 19, at the South District Market Parking lot, enjoy live music from Kevin Burt, along with community presentations, activities for all ages, and a fashion showcase.
Show your pride at Iowa City Pride events
Saturday: Iowa City Pride is back for the 56th year. Principal events, the Pride Parade and Pride Festival, will start at noon on Saturday, June 20. The festival will be on the Ped Mall, and the parade will begin at College Green Park, working its way downtown along Iowa Avenue and East Washington Street. The festival runs from 12 to 9 p.m.
Catch a romantic comedy under the stars at FilmScene in the Park
Saturday: FilmScene in the Park returns at 9:15 p.m., Saturday, June 20, with a screening of the cult classic “13 Going on 30″ at Chauncey Swan Park. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Concessions, including beer and wine, will be available 30 minutes before the film begins.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @rishjessica_
-
Wyoming4 minutes ago250 Portraits self-portrait exhibition now on display throughout downtown Jackson
-
Crypto11 minutes agoCrypto’s Courtside Takeover: Digital Assets in Pro Tennis
-
Finance14 minutes agoConsumer confidence plunges among younger adults
-
Fitness19 minutes agoKylie Minogue, 58, shares how she stays fit without a strict exercise routine – ‘I don’t really work out’
-
Movie Reviews29 minutes agoMovie Review: ‘Leviticus’ makes a demon out of desire in an auspicious debut for Adrian Chiarella – Sentinel Colorado
-
World41 minutes agoVideo: A Small Election Could Change British Politics
-
News44 minutes agoInside Trump’s Touring Exhibition of American Heroes
-
Politics49 minutes agoVideo: Erika Kirk’s Message for Women at Turning Point USA
