Iowa State women's basketball team falls further in Big 12 race after getting upset at West Virginia
The hope for the Iowa State women’s basketball team was that after a much-needed break during the week, the Cyclones would come back to the court refreshed and refocused for their final stretch in the Big 12 Conference title hunt.
The time off didn’t solve any of Iowa State’s issues.
More:The Iowa State women's basketball team got a rare break in Big 12 play. Will it help the Cyclones?
The 19th-ranked Cyclones lost their third-straight game and fell further in the Big 12 standings with a 73-60 setback at West Virginia on Saturday. Iowa State’s stumble through the back end of the conference slate dropped the Cyclones to 15-7 on the season and 7-5 in league play.
Iowa State, the preseason pick to win the Big 12, isn’t eliminated from the picture but the Cyclones are fading fast with their longest losing streak of the season. They now just have six games remaining in the regular season to get back on track.
Iowa State, which has struggled from 3-point range for most of the season, had issues again Saturday. The Cyclones shot just 17% (5-for-30) from beyond the arc. They also turned it over 17 times and let a 1-point lead at halftime disappear after a strong third quarter by West Virginia.
Iowa State was outscored 22-13 in the third and went into the final frame trailing by 8 after a last-second 3-pointer by West Virginia’s Danni Nichols. It was far too much ground to make up for the Cyclones, who could never get into a rhythm offensively and struggled to get stops. Making matters worse: Ashley Joens, Nyamer Diew and Lexi Donarski all battled foul troubles.
The Cyclones already had a short bench with guard Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw not making the trip due to personal reasons.
Joens still finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. Iowa State point guard Emily Ryan added 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists. But it wasn't enough to help the stumbling Cyclones. They come back to Iowa and face No. 23 Texas at Hilton Coliseum on Monday.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State women's basketball fades from Big 12 race with WVU loss
