GAMER: Iowa State handles West Virginia
Kelby Wingert/Iowa State Daily
Sophomore Georges Niang celebrates a 3-point shot he scored against West Virginia on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at Hilton Coliseum. Niang had 24 points in 39 minutes of play for Iowa State. The No. 15 Cyclones defeated the Mountaineers 83-66. Iowa State is now 22-5 overall, and 10-5 in the Big 12.
February 26, 2014
The Lowdown
Georges Niang said on Monday that the memory of leaving West Virginia’s court after losing by 25 was still fresh in his mind, leaving a bitter taste.
In the rematch against the Mountaineers (15-13, 7-8 Big 12) Wednesday night, he showed how badly he wanted to make the first game an afterthought carrying No. 15 Iowa State to a 83-64 win with 24 points and seven rebounds.
Iowa State’s Naz Long warmed up early and stayed hot, hitting five triples on 5-of-7 shooting from deep and sparked an early 24-5 run that put Iowa State ahead 28-14.
The Mountaineers hung around most of the game, but Iowa State jumped out ahead on a 14-2 run to put the game out of reach.
X Factor
Georges Niang — Niang carried the load while Melvin Ejim sat for more than 10 minutes in the second half. Niang finished with 24 on 9-of-17 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds.
Turning Point
West Virginia hung around the entire game, until Iowa State led 64-57 with 9:12 left in the second half. From there, Iowa State closed on a 19-9 run to close the game.
By The Numbers
5 — The number of triples Naz Long hit tonight.
22 — Iowa State had 22 assists on 33 made buckets.
46 — The Cyclones out-rebounded the Mountaineers 46-33.
12-0 — ISU freshman Monte Morris finished with a 12-0 assist to turnover ratio. He leads the nation in that category.