March Madness: Iowa State freshman Audi Crooks emotionally reveals she prays for her father before every game following his death in 2021 when she was just 16 after scoring record 40 points in first-round win

Iowa State freshman Audi Crooks opened up emotionally about her late father after leading the Cyclones’ comeback victory in the opening round of March Madness.

The center led Iowa State to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 93-86 win over the Maryland Terrapins on Friday night.

Crooks deservedly placed the Cyclones’ nameplate on the NCAA tournament board after scoring a career-high 40 points — the most by a freshman in women’s March Madness history.

The 6-foot-4 hooper went 18-for-20 shooting as No. 7 seed Iowa State defeated 10th-seeded Maryland.

After the comeback win at Iowa State, Crooks emotionally told the media that her late father, Jimmie, had “the best seat in the house” to watch her impressive record performance.

Crooks emotionally told the media that her late father, Jimmie, had “the best seat in the house.”

“Before every game I try to take a moment and pray,” she said through tears. ‘I seek guidance from my father. He passed away when I was 16 in 2021.

“I’m just trying to take some time to ground myself and tap into my spiritual side and just know that everything will be okay. He has the best place in the house.’

Jimmie Crooks passed away in August 2021 at the age of 55, when Audi was only 16 years old.

Audi reportedly committed to Iowa State shortly after, with Bill Fennelly taking her to her favorite Mexican restaurant during the recruiting process, according to ESPN.

Jimmie was reportedly a high school basketball player himself. A 6-foot-1 forward, he averaged 14.5 points for the Fort Dodger in 1984-85.

‘I’m just grateful. I can’t thank the people I’m surrounded by enough,” Crooks added.

“When you’re surrounded by people who you love, who care about you, who trust you as much as those who get you the ball, it speaks volumes about how we play as a unit.”

Iowa State hit all the big shots in the second half, rallying from a 20-point deficit to beat Maryland.

The 6-foot-4 hooper went 18-for-20 as No. 7 seed Iowa State defeated Maryland

Crooks’ 40 points on Friday were the most by a freshman in the history of women’s March Madness

The 20-point comeback was the second-biggest comeback of all time in a women’s NCAA tournament game. Only Texas A&M overcame a bigger gap with a 21-point deficit to beat Penn in 2017.

“I thought this was one of the most entertaining games I have ever been a part of,” Iowa State coach Fennelly said. “So proud of our team, ecstatic for them.”

Crooks became the first player in NCAA Tournament history to score 40 points on 90 percent field goal shooting.

She also tied Brittney Griner for the most points by a Big 12 player in the tournament’s history.

With her performance, Crooks became just the fourth player in Iowa State program history to score 40 points in a game.

It also produced the most points in an NCAA debut in the past 25 years and the second-most points in a debut of all time.