Iowa
Shead scores 26 as No. 2 Houston beats No. 6 Iowa State 73-65
HOUSTON — Jamal Shead had 26 points, including 20 in the second half, and No. 2 Houston took sole possession of first place in the Big 12 with a 73-65 win over No. 6 Iowa State on Monday night.
Emanuel Sharp added 20 points for the Cougars (23-3, 10-3), who won their 20th consecutive home game — the longest active streak in the country. They hold a one-game lead over the Cyclones (20-6, 9-4) with five games remaining in the regular season for both teams.
Shead shot 5 of 7 from the field and 9 for 10 at the free-throw line in the second half. He finished 6 of 10 from the floor and added six assists.
Houston, which never trailed, turned 16 Iowa State turnovers into 20 points.
Keshon Gilbert had 17 points for the Cyclones, who outrebounded Houston 39-30. Tre King and Curtis Jones scored 13 apiece.
Both teams shot 42% from the field.
The Cyclones got as close as three early in the second half, but Houston built its lead back to 43-32 on a 3-pointer by Sharp with 15 minutes left.
Houston’s Jamal Shead (1) goes up for a shot as Iowa State’s Hason Ward (24) defends during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Feb. 19, 2024, in Houston. Houston won 73-65. Credit: AP/David J. Phillip
Iowa State continued to chip away, getting the deficit down to four several times in the second half, with the last coming on a 3 by King with 8:22 to go. But the Cougars scored the next four points and went back ahead by eight on a layup by J’Wan Roberts with 7:18 left.
BIG PICTURE
Iowa State: Fell to 6-5 in Quad 1 games. The Cyclones are 15-0 at home but 4-4 on the road.
Houston: The Cougars improved to 9-3 in Quad 1 games. They have at least three more remaining in the regular season.
Iowa State’s Tamin Lipsey (3) shoots as Houston’s Jamal Shead (1) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Feb. 19, 2024, in Houston. Credit: AP/David J. Phillip
UP NEXT
Iowa State: Will host West Virginia on Saturday.
Houston: Travels to Baylor on Saturday.
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Iowa
Iowa women’s basketball transfer portal visitor commits to Big Ten foe
An Iowa women’s basketball transfer portal visitor committed to one of the Hawkeyes’ conference foes instead. Former Iowa State guard Kenzie Hare took a visit to Iowa during her transfer portal recruitment, but the 5-foot-9 guard committed to Indiana on Sunday night.
Hare had several visits throughout her transfer portal recruiting process, including trips to Michigan and Illinois State, but the Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow reported that Hare also visited Iowa.
On3’s Talia Goodman reported Hare’s commitment to the Hoosiers.
Hare has one year of eligibility remaining. This past season with the Cyclones, in 32 games played and 31 starts, Hare averaged 6.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game on 40.5% field goal shooting and 40% from 3-point range. A hip injury limited Hare to just 10 games during her first year with the Cyclones in the 2024-25 season.
The soon-to-be redshirt senior transferred to Iowa State before the 2024-25 campaign after spending two seasons at Marquette from 2022-24. Hare averaged a career-best 14 points per game on 45.5% field goal shooting and 42.5% 3-point shooting during the 2023-24 season with the Golden Eagles.
Had Iowa been able to lure the Naperville, Ill., native to Iowa City, Hare would have been another valuable addition to the Hawkeyes’ backcourt depth. But, Iowa has landed other backcourt reinforcements throughout this transfer portal cycle.
The Hawkeyes inked both Dani Carnegie and Amari Whiting.
Carnegie was a first-team All-SEC selection this past season at Georgia, averaging 17.8 points per game on 42.7% field goal shooting, 35.4% from 3-point range and 83.3% from the free-throw line. Whiting averaged 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game on 42.5% field goal shooting, 32.1% 3-point accuracy, and 71.6% free-throw shooting.
As Hare joins a promising core of players in Bloomington, the Hawkeyes will once again face the former Cyclone at least once this upcoming season as part of their Big Ten regular-season slate.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
Iowa
Sen. Chuck Grassley shares he’s recovering from gallstone surgery
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Senator Chuck Grassley said he’s recovering from a gallstone removal procedure.
His media team shared that he is working in Iowa “in good spirits and looks forward to returning to Washington soon.”
“I’m gr8ful [sic] for the excellent care from local health care providers,” he shared on X.
Over the weekend in Iowa I had a procedure to remove gallstones I’m gr8ful for the excellent care from local health care providers Be back to capitol ASAP
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) April 20, 2026
Grassley, 92, is the oldest senator currently in office and the sixth-longest-serving senator in U.S. history.
The Senate is in session this week.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Iowa
Former Iowa State star, All-American Audi Crooks announces transfer destination
Former Iowa State center Audi Crooks has committed to Oklahoma State via the NCAA Transfer Portal. She has one season of eligibility remaining.
Crooks made 99 appearances and 95 starts during her three seasons at Iowa State. She averaged 25.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game this past season, while shooting 64.9% from the field. Additionally, the 6-foot-3 star shot 1-11 from 3-point range.
Crooks played a leading role for the Cyclones from the moment she stepped on campus. She is a three-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection and two-time All-American. On April 2, Crooks announced her intention to enter the transfer portal.
“Cyclone Nation, thank you all for embracing me and showing up to Hilton every single game day. I’ve met so many of you out in the community, and I will cherish all of the genuine connections that I’ve built during my time at Iowa State,” Crooks wrote. “Words cannot fully express how grateful I feel to have called this place home.
“I want to thank my teammates for their friendship and all the great memories. … I still believe the grass is greener where you water it, and I’ve done that here.”
Now, Audi Crooks will aim to thrive in her new environment. Oklahoma finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-10 overall record.
The NCAA Transfer Portal officially opened on April 6 and closes on April 20. The new 15-day window was enacted following a recommendation by the women’s basketball oversight committee. Athletes don’t have to commit to a new school by the April 21 deadline.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
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