Iowa State women's basketball freshman Addy Brown flirts with triple-double in victory
AMES – As the minutes ticked away late in the Iowa State women's basketball game on Sunday, there was really only one thing left in doubt. Would Cyclones freshman Addy Brown tally the program's first triple-double in nearly a decade?
Brown came up just short, finishing two assists shy of accomplishing the rare feat, during Iowa State's 89-59 win over North Dakota State at Hilton Coliseum. Her big day helped Iowa State improve to 5-4 and rebound from Wednesday's nine-point loss to in-state rival Iowa.
"She's pretty good," said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly.
There's no doubt about that. Brown was the star in an easy victory over a North Dakota State team that was picked to finish second in the Summit League and gave the Drake women's basketball team fits just two days earlier. She did a little bit of everything in the win, finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.
Brown departed with 2 minutes and 57 seconds remaining as Fennelly emptied his bench. The Cyclones coach said he learned shortly after taking Brown out of the game that she was on the verge of the team's first triple-double since Nikki Moody accomplished the feat on Nov. 29, 2014.
What makes Brown's close call even more impressive? It came in just her ninth collegiate game.
"I think the transition for her has been one of the easiest, just because she is such a smart player," said Iowa State guard Hannah Belanger.
Brown has had little trouble adapting to college basketball, with season averages of 14.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists. On Sunday, the Cyclones needed her versatility as they fought off a North Dakota State squad that stayed within striking distance for a portion of the first half.
The only real trouble came when North Dakota State cut Iowa State's lead to one in the second quarter. Iowa State then started pulling away with a jumper by Audi Crooks and a 3-pointer by Belanger that gave Iowa State a 26-20 lead.
Belanger finished with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. Nyamer Diew added 12 points and four rebounds. Crooks chipped in with 13 points and five rebounds. Isnelle Natabou and Jalynn Bristow both tallied 11 points.
Here's what we learned during Sunday's game:
Arianna Jackson is providing a boost for the Cyclones
The stats don’t show how well freshman Arianna Jackson has been playing lately.
Jackson, a former star at Des Moines Roosevelt, has put together a strong stretch of games. She tallied seven points and four steals in Iowa State’s win at St. Thomas. Jackson missed the next game with UNCW due to an illness. But she returned for Iowa State’s close call with No. 4 Iowa and gave Hawkeyes superstar Caitlin Clark fits on the defensive end all night.
She started Sunday and played 21 minutes, finishing with three points, three rebounds and two assists. Jackson also knocked down an important 3-pointer just before the shot clock expired.
The veterans came up big
Most of the attention this season has been on Iowa State's freshmen. One of the most decorated recruiting classes in Iowa State's history, the group has lived up to the expectations. But seniors Natabou, Diew and Belanger helped carry the Cyclones during the early stages of Sunday's game. Belanger scored 12 first-half points and Diew added eight as Iowa State built a 42-27 halftime lead.
"The role that we would take isn't the scoring, the hefty part of that," Diew said. "It's more of just the leadership off the court and getting everyone in the right spots and knowing what plays we're running and what we're doing on defense and stuff like that."
Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018 and 2020 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State women's basketball beats North Dakota State at Hilton
