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.