No. 12 Iowa State's eager to face Drake Thursday on the road

AMES — Jada Williams craves the catcalls.

Every derisive word and/or dismissive gesture aimed at Iowa State’s dynamic new point guard is met with narrowed eyes and a broad smile.

Simply put: Williams enjoys playing in a hostile environment.

“I like going to somebody else’s house,” the former Arizona transfer said in advance of the No. 12 Cyclones’ matchup with Drake at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Knapp Center. “They hate you. They talk stuff. They yell crazy things at you. That’s kind of where I thrive at, so I’m excited.”

ISU (5-0) has lost four straight meetings with the Bulldogs (1-2) in Des Moines, but has won 10 of 14 overall recently in a series that stretches back to 1975.

Drake lost a lot of firepower from last season’s team, which won 22 games and finished in a tie for third in the Missouri Valley Conference standings. But the Bulldogs return talented guards Abbie Aalsma and Grace Knutson, who both shoot 43 percent or better from 3-point range.

“They’ve scored a lot of points,” ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said. “They take a lot of shots. They’re very efficient offensive players.”

The Cyclones, meanwhile, feature one of the most efficient offensive players in the country in star center Audi Crooks. The 6-foot-3 junior from Algona ranks fourth nationally in points per game at 26.4 and also ranks fourth in field goal percentage at 76.1 percent.

“She is getting better,” Fennelly said on media day of Crooks, a third-team All-American last season. “She wants to get better, and we need her to get better for us to make another step, and she’s willing to do that.”

The first step in that process as the schedule begins to get much tougher? Winning a road game.

And that’s all Crooks, Addy Brown and Williams are focused on — relishing challenges and building off past successes.

“When adversity hits, we love each other and we lean on each other,” Williams said. “So I’m excited to get rolling.”

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