The stage was set in Kansas City, Missouri, for a Big 12 Tournament clash that promised drama—and it delivered in spades. On March 5, 2026, the No. 10 seed Arizona State Sun Devils pulled off a stunning 77-68 upset over the No. 7 seed Iowa State Cyclones in the second round of the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Tournament at the T-Mobile Center. For Iowa State, a team that had soared through the regular season and crushed Arizona State by 26 points just weeks earlier, this loss was a gut punch that left their NCAA Tournament hopes hanging by a thread.
Heading into the contest, the Cyclones (22-9, 10-8 Big 12) were heavy favorites. Their high-octane offense averaged 82.8 points per game—good for 12th in the nation—and they boasted a +479 scoring differential over the season. Their three-point shooting was lethal, connecting at 37.4% from deep, ranking eighth in college basketball. Meanwhile, Arizona State (24-9, 9-9 Big 12) had been scrapping for recognition, sitting on the NCAA tournament bubble and hungry for a signature win after going 0-6 against higher-ranked opponents in Quad 1 games. The Sun Devils, however, had a plan—and executed it to near perfection.
The opening quarter set the tone. Arizona State came out swinging, launching a 14-0 run led by Heloisa Carrera, who scored 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting and four free throws in the period. The Cyclones, rattled by five early turnovers and relentless defensive pressure, found themselves in an 11-2 hole. Iowa State’s head coach Bill Fennelly summed up the struggles succinctly: “They did things to us that we struggle with.” By the end of the first quarter, Arizona State had built a 17-9 lead, and Iowa State was already in unfamiliar territory.
What went wrong for the Cyclones? Arizona State’s defensive strategy was nothing short of masterful. The Sun Devils threw triple teams at Iowa State’s star center, Audi Crooks, who entered the game as one of the top scorers in college basketball, averaging 25.6 points per game. The result? Crooks didn’t attempt a shot until 13 minutes into the game and was limited to just four points—all from the free-throw line—in the first half. “It was very packed,” Crooks admitted after the game. “Very packed in the paint for me tonight. Yeah, let’s just leave it at that.”
With Crooks bottled up, the Cyclones turned to their perimeter game, but the shots simply wouldn’t fall. Despite entering the tournament as the best three-point shooting team in the Big 12, Iowa State finished the night a woeful 19.4% from beyond the arc (7-for-36). Addy Brown, a reliable threat from deep, went just 2-for-11. “I don’t know,” Brown said. “We usually make those shots. You wish you could get them back. But you can’t.”
The Cyclones’ offensive woes were compounded by a brutal scoring drought that lasted 8 minutes and 24 seconds in the first quarter. After Jada Williams hit a jumper less than a minute into the game, Iowa State missed eight straight shots and didn’t score another field goal until Kenzie Hare’s three-pointer with 38 seconds left in the quarter. By halftime, Arizona State maintained an eight-point lead at 33-25, thanks in large part to their 23-18 advantage on the boards and a balanced scoring attack.
Arizona State’s Gabby Elliott was the engine that kept the Sun Devils rolling. Elliott, who had been relatively quiet in the first round, erupted for 22 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists in 39 minutes—nearly notching a triple-double. Carrera finished with 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting, McKinna Brackens added 16, and Last-Tear Poa chipped in 12 points and nine rebounds. Marley Washenitz also made her mark, drilling two key three-pointers—including a momentum-shifting shot in the third quarter that helped Arizona State stretch its lead to as much as 16 points.
The third quarter proved decisive. Arizona State shot a blistering 64.3% from the field (9-of-14) and outscored Iowa State 27-21, pushing the lead to double digits and putting the Cyclones firmly on the back foot. Iowa State’s offense finally showed signs of life in the second half, with Crooks erupting for 17 of her 21 points after the break, but the deficit was simply too much to overcome. Arizona State never let their lead dip below six points in the final quarter.
Statistically, the Sun Devils were superior in nearly every facet. They out-rebounded Iowa State 41-36, shot 46% from three-point range (6-for-13), and converted 82% of their free throws (23-for-28). The Cyclones, meanwhile, shot just 68% from the charity stripe (17-for-25), squandering opportunities to claw back into the game. As Iowa State’s coach Bill Fennelly observed, “That’s the great thing and the frustrating thing about basketball. It’s a shot-making game and we didn’t make it tonight.”
Despite the loss, there were bright spots for Iowa State. Audi Crooks’s 21 points marked her 22nd 20-plus point game this season and pushed her into the top five in Iowa State Big 12 Tournament history with 145 career points. Addy Brown tallied her sixth double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Kenzie Hare (12) and Jada Williams (11) also reached double figures.
For Arizona State, the victory was monumental. Not only did it keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive, but it also marked their first Quad 1 win of the season—a critical boost for a team that had been on the outside looking in. “We’re a dangerous team right now,” declared Sun Devils head coach Molly Miller. The Sun Devils will now face No. 2 seed West Virginia on March 6, 2026, at 4:30 p.m., with a chance to further cement their NCAA tournament credentials. The last time the two teams met, West Virginia held Arizona State to just six points in the fourth quarter to eke out a 53-43 win. But with Arizona State firing on all cylinders, the rematch promises fireworks.
As for Iowa State, all eyes turn to Selection Sunday on March 15, 2026, at 7 p.m. on ESPN. The Cyclones, once considered a lock for an at-large NCAA Tournament bid, now face an anxious wait. Their early exit from the Big 12 Tournament has cast doubt on their postseason fate, and the coming days will determine whether their season continues or comes to a premature close.
One thing’s for sure: March Madness has arrived, and if this game was any indication, the drama is just getting started.