Box Score Iowa State more than doubled its scoring total from last Saturday's 23-point home loss to Tennessee to defeat 15^th-ranked West Virginia, 93-77, at Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday night.
 
The Cyclones (12-9, 3-6) never trailed and the score was tied just once, 29-29, before Iowa State went on a 9-0 run to take control of the game. The closest West Virginia could get after that was down eight points early in the second half.
 
"I thought we were going to be okay when we took their assault early and came back and tied the game," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. "But we are not tough enough to sustain anything."
 
Donovan Jackson scored 25 points and Lindell Wiggington added 22 as the Cyclones shot 62.1 percent for the game, broken down into 66.7 percent in the first half and 57.1 percent in the second.
 
West Virginia's full-court pressure defense was non-existent and at one point in the second half Huggins had to call it off entirely because the Cyclones were beating the Mountaineers down the floor time after time for easy baskets.
 
"These guys have singlehandedly destroyed 'Press Virginia,'" Huggins said. "We can't press anybody."
 
And after missed shots, there were several instances when West Virginia had no one back to slow down Iowa State's transition game. "Our transition defense is as bad as any team I've ever had," Huggins said.
 
Besides the score, Iowa State outperformed West Virginia in just about every important statistical category: field goal shooting, 3-point field goal shooting, assists, turnovers, blocks ... you name it.
 
Rebounding, a statistic West Virginia needed to win decisively tonight, was even at 32 and the turnovers committed were plus-one in Iowa State's favor, eight to nine.
 
Cameron Lard added 18 points and 13 rebounds and Solomon Young scored 14 points and grabbed 10 boards for the Cyclones.
 
Jevon Carter scored 18 for West Virginia, which drops to 16-6, 5-4. Carter came close once again to a triple-double with nine assists and seven rebounds tonight.
 
Esa Ahmad, getting the start at forward in place of slumping Lamont West, scored 17 and Sagaba Konate also added 17.
 
The Mountaineers shot 35 percent in the second half after hitting 55.6 percent of their first half field goal attempts. WVU's second half shooting woes have become a recurring theme in its most recent five losses to Texas Tech, Kansas, TCU, Kentucky and Iowa State.
 
The second half field goal shooting in those games were 9-for-27 against Texas Tech, 10-for-28 against Kansas, 12-for-39 against TCU, 11-for-34 against Kentucky and 14-of-40 tonight against Iowa State.
 
"We got 40 shots in the second half to their 28," Huggins said. "They make 16 and we make 14. You're not going to win. We missed point-blank shot after point-blank shot."
 
Senior guard Daxter Miles Jr. did not play tonight because of an undisclosed illness. Wesley Harris did play but was also under the weather.
 
"For those of you out there that say we don't need Dax, we needed Dax," Huggins said. "Dax gives us a little bit more athleticism."
 
Iowa State was without its starting point guard and fourth-leading scorer Nick Weiler-Babb, out with left knee tendinitis.
 
"I wish I could put a finger on what it is," Huggins said. "I don't know if we got to thinking we're better than we are. I don't know if I've got a bunch of lazy guys - I hope not. Yet every game we play it seems everybody is bouncier than us. Everybody seems to be more athletic than we are.
 
"We took so much pride in getting to the ball, making plays and being a great offensive rebounding team and everybody is better at that than we are right now," Huggins added.

The two teams will meet again in Morgantown on Feb. 24.
 
West Virginia returns to the Coliseum to face Kansas State on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. in a Big 12 game that will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
 
Earlier this year in Manhattan, West Virginia defeated the Wildcats 77-69.