Iowa State’s remarkable NCAA record of 945 consecutive games featuring at least one 3-pointer came to an end during a 71-58 win against Texas Tech on Tuesday evening.
This streak, which began on February 19, 1995, against Colorado, spanned nearly three decades while Iowa State was still part of the Big Eight conference.
Since taking over as head coach in the following season, Bill Fennelly has led his teams to make a 3-pointer in every game until now. However, during the match against the Red Raiders, the Cyclones attempted only seven shots from beyond the arc, missing them all. This marked a significant moment, as it was the first time in nearly 30 years that they concluded a game without a successful 3-point basket.
Fennelly addressed the end of the streak, stating, “We only shot seven of them, so we really didn’t care. If we were really worried about the record, we probably would have run about 15 more plays to get one. I understand it’s a big deal to some, and it matters to us as well. I’m proud of the streak, but it’s akin to a player chasing a triple-double; I wouldn’t keep them in just for the stats. We only set up two plays for 3-pointers, and both came in the first half.”
In the game against Texas Tech, Iowa State relied heavily on their interior strength, with standout center Audi Crooks and forward Addy Brown leading the charge. The duo combined for an impressive 19 of 31 shooting from the field, contributing 49 points to the Cyclones’ overall score.
After the match, Crooks reflected, “I’m sorry, but also not. The streak is impressive, yet we can still secure wins by scoring solely in the paint and from the free-throw line. I recognize the importance of the tradition and the value of the streak, so we do apologize, but the paint was working tonight.”
Throughout the impressive run, Iowa State accumulated a total of 7,666 made 3-pointers, with over 200 successful shots from long range in 21 consecutive seasons. They even surpassed ten 3-pointers in a single game on 289 occasions.
This current season, the team has already recorded 151 successful 3-pointers.
The Cyclones will have the opportunity to begin a new streak this upcoming Sunday when they face No. 20 West Virginia.
As of now, Chattanooga holds the longest active streak for women’s teams with 790 consecutive games, while UNLV leads the men’s category with 1,243 games. Duke closely follows, just one game behind the Runnin’ Rebels.
