Oklahoma
THE CROOKS EFFECT: Iowa State taps multiple scoring sources to beat Oklahoma State, 78-67
Iowa State Cyclones guard Emily Ryan (11) drives to the basket around Oklahoma State Cowgirls guard Quincy Noble (0) and forward Praise Egharevba (24) during the third quarter in the Big-12 conference matchup at Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK
AMES — Another night, another new career high in scoring for Audi Crooks.
And Iowa State needed every one of the freshman center’s 29 points to fully put away Oklahoma State, 78-67, Wednesday before a crowd of 9,962 at Hilton Coliseum.
“Her footwork. her hands — she’s just so skilled and she’s physical,” Cowgirls coach Jacie Hoyt said. “I mean, she’s good and when you put 3-point shooters around her, that’s just a pick-your-poison situation.”
The Cyclones (13-7, 7-3 Big 12) tapped a variety of sources to plague Oklahoma State (11-10, 4-6) and snap a three-game skid. Senior point guard Emily Ryan nearly notched a triple-double with nine points, nine rebounds and 14 assists, and freshman Addy Brown produced a stat line of 14 points, eight rebounds and nine assists to help clip the injury-depleted Cowgirls.
“We seemed to make (shots) when we really needed to make them,” said ISU head coach Bill Fennelly, whose team completed a regular-season sweep of Oklahoma State. “We struggled a little bit, but it just seemed like AJ (Arianna Jackson) would hit one, Hannah (Belanger) would hit one, Addy Brown would hit one, Emily Ryan would hit one right at the right time. So you were up four to seven, five to eight, eight to 11.”
So as good as Crooks was — 14 of 21 from the field, while adding eight rebounds — the players around her proved to be difference-makers, as well. Jackson, for instance, drilled 4 of her 8 3-point attempts in critical moments and Brown scored five points to spur a 10-0 run that turned a 47-42 third-quarter deficit into a 52-47 advantage the Cyclones would never relinquish.
“They started knocking down 3s when Oklahoma State started bringing that double team,” Crooks said. “So they couldn’t quite double (after that), and I just think we kept them on their toes all night because we’d go inside and then we’d go outside, so tonight is not possible without the guards.”
Brown and Ryan combined for 14 of ISU’s 27 assists on 32 made baskets. That’s a staggering rate of sharing and it helped the Cyclones both withstand the Cowgirls’ third-quarter surge and pull away late.
“(Crooks) is so unselfish (and) she’s willing to kick it out,” Ryan said. “So even if she doesn’t get the ball, she’s opening so much up for everyone else, so she did her thing inside and that opened a lot up for AJ, Addy and myself, and everyone else. So credit to Audi for going to work tonight and everyone else stepped up and hit shots when they were open.”
ISU also excelled in taking care of the basketball, committing just four turnovers in the final three quarters after losing possession six times in the first. The Cyclones allowed Oklahoma State to score just 11 points off of turnovers — or seven lower than the average given up in their three consecutive conference losses.
“Emily and AJ did a really good job,” Fennelly said. “And when you add Addy Brown, you can facilitate offense from different spots. But that’s a huge number for us, to keep that number down.”
The Cyclones improved to 5-0 at Hilton Coliseum in Big 12 play and will travel to league newcomer UCF (10-9, 1-8) on Saturday.
“I’m not a big ‘must-win’ guy,” Fennelly said. “To me, the must-win is the win you have to have to continue your season. But if you look at the grand scheme of things, this (was) pretty damn close to that.”
NORMAN — Cord Rager’s return comes at a pivotal time for Skip Johnson’s Oklahoma Sooners. Not only do they get their day three starter back in time for big road matchups against Auburn and Arkansas on the horizon, but the Sooners pitching strength, their rotational depth, is primed and ready for the test.
The freshman lefty finished with eight strikeouts and only gave up one hit in only 65 pitches before his day ended in the sixth.
No. 14 Oklahoma earn its first conference sweep of the season, defeating Missouri 8-4. It was OU’s fourth conference series win.
Oklahoma (27-12, 10-8) put their best foot forward as they turn the page to the meat of their schedule where they will do battle against No. 13, No. 20 and No. 16 over the next three weeks — two of those series’ on the road.
Four runs in five hits in the second got things rolling for the Sooners.
Camden Johnson continued his brilliant play of late with a triple in the second. This came after a Brenden Brock solo home run to put OU up 1-0. Deiten LaChance grounded out to short but scored Johnson. Dasan Harris and and Nolan Stevens each found home before the inning ended.
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OU found fortune from the plate again in the fourth. Four runs off of four hits highlighted by a three-run home run by Johnson put Oklahoma up 8-0. It was Johnson’s seventh home run of the season, second on the team behind Brock’s nine.
Trent Collier got the nod in the sixth to relieve Rager.
In the seventh, Missouri finally got on the board for the first time since the ninth inning of Friday night’s Sooner victory. Cam Durnin hit a solo shot — his fourht of the season — to make the score 8-1 in favor of the home team.
The Tigers got their third hit of the game shortly after. From there, Collier’s short day was done. Gavyn Jones came on to relieve
LaChance missed a home run by inches when Tiger center fielder Kaden Peer made a leaping catch, jumping into the fence.
In the eighth, the Tigers continued to chip away. With bases loaded, Blaze Ward hit a basehit to score two Missouri base runners. OU led 8-3 heading into the final inning.
Harris led the Sooners with three hits. His day was accented by an RBI, stolen base and a run.
Oklahoma will travel to Auburn to take on the No. 13 Tigers for a three game series starting on Friday. Before that, they will host Oral Roberts for a midweek game at Kimrey Family Stadium in Norman. The Sooners won 4-0 against ORU earlier this season.
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New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
Iowa State wrestling’s first commitment of the Brent Metcalf era will be a transfer portal addition.
The Cyclones added Oklahoma State transfer Brayden Thompson, who announced his commitment on April 18 via Instagram. Thompson is a one-time NCAA qualifier at the 2024 NCAA Championships, doing so as a true freshman. He redshirted in 2024-25, but competed in open tournaments at 184 pounds and was 9-0. He did not wrestle a match in 2025-26 and will have at least two years of eligibility remaining.
Out of high school, Thompson was ranked the No. 3 pound-for-pound wrestler and No. 1 at 182 pounds in the 2023 recruiting class by Flowrestling. He also won Powerade and Ironman titles, two of the more prestigious high school tournaments in the nation. Assuming Thompson returns to 184 pounds where he last wrestled, he should fill in nicely as a potential replacement for Isaac Dean after his graduation.
Thompson is Iowa State’s first transfer portal addition after several departures, including Anthony Echemendia and Christian Castillo, who also entered the portal.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
NORMAN — The Oklahoma Sooners liked their wide receiver room a year ago. They want 2026 to be even better.
Isaiah Sategna’s return helps that desire. Earning experienced pass catchers Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone via the transfer portal gives you added play makers. But after the Sooners Spring Game on Saturday, an unlikely hero emerged.
When Jahsiear Rogers flipped from Penn State to Oklahoma last December, he drew the usual excitement that comes with a new commitment. But few expected him to climb the depth chart this quickly, even with the injuries that hit Emmett Jones’ room.
Rogers did just that and more on Saturday. He led all pass catchers with five receptions for 70 yards in Oklahoma’s annual Red/White game.
“I knew it was time to showcase,” Rogers said after the game. “It was amazing to see the fans and get used to the OU way. I’m a playmaker. They really want to put the ball in playmakers hands. I pretty much knew I had to lead the white team.”
Rogers got the ball rolling early. On the second offensive play for the white team, backup quarterback Whitt Newbauer rolled to his right wide, then stopped and looked towards the middle of the field where he saw Rogers running open. Newbauer connected with Rogers for a 39-yard gain.
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With Rogers on the white team, he is running against (most of) Oklahoma’s starting defense. As fate would have it, on that 39-yard reception, Rogers beat his favorite teammate to compete against — Reggie Powers.
“He is just a leader, good guy,” Rogers said of Powers. “Me and him go after it every day in practice. Reggie is strong. When I come at him, I have to really come at him.”
Rogers’ big play over Powers was the second-longest catch of the spring game — Sategna’s 50-yard reception that appeared to be a touchdown before coaches pulled it back to set up a red-zone rep. The other four catches weren’t flashy, but they were important in their own way, and Rogers looked like he belonged on the field.
“I love it. As long as I can get the ball, I can be me. I love it,” Rogers said. “When I am on the field, I am ready to go. I am ready to be a playmaker.”
The season is still months away, and Rogers hasn’t earned a spot high on the depth chart yet. A strong spring and an encouraging Red/White Game can only lead to early playing time if he carries that momentum into summer and fall camp.
More experienced players will return from injury and receivers who’ve been in the program for a few years will have an extra leg-up.
But Rogers is taking everything in stride and leaving no stone unturned in his development.
“Just learning from the older guys,” Rogers said. “Manny Choice, Isaiah Sategna, Trell Harris, Mackenzie Alleyne. Really all of them. We lean on each other, learn from each other. That is kind of how our room is.”
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