Iowa State’s loss has only strengthened its resolve.

After the Cyclone’s 99-82 drubbing at the hands of Northern Iowa last week, the ISU men’s basketball team has come back to practice as focused as ever.

A white-hot UNI team jumped on the Cyclones (3-1) early and didn’t allow them back into the game, frustrating Iowa State on both ends of the court.

Now the Cyclones are ready to prove that game was a fluke as they prepare to face No. 24 Virginia (6-0) on Monday at Hilton Coliseum.

“As a team, we’re all upset about the game, but we understand that it’s behind us and we can’t get it back,” said freshman Tasheed Carr.

UNI burned Iowa State from the 3-point line, making 12 shots from behind the line, with 10 of those coming in the first half.

The Panthers shot better than 60 percent from the field, compared with the Cyclones’ 48 percent. They also recorded more rebounds and assists than the Cyclones, dishing out 25 assists to Iowa State’s four.

“We have to keep moving on,” said guard John Neal. “If we keep thinking about UNI or past games, we won’t move forward as a team. We lost, we got beat by UNI, but we have to take things from that game and get better at it and take them into the game against Virginia.”

Although the final result against the Panthers wasn’t pretty, it is also only one game in a long season.

“You get rid of it quick; you don’t let it get to you,” said sophomore guard Curtis Stinson. “Everybody loses. They played well, they scored, they won the game. I’m going to keep moving on. I’m not going to sit back and whine about that game. Everybody loses.”

Stinson scored 22 against UNI, and senior Jared Homan led the team with 23 points. Will Blalock was the only other Cyclone in double figures with 19.

“We just learn from the mistakes we made, things we need to do to get better defensively and offensively,” Neal said. “The best thing we take from this game is we learn the things we were doing wrong, and [now we have to] get better at it.”

Iowa State now turns its attention to a week in which it faces both Virginia and Iowa, two nationally ranked teams that have already knocked off higher-ranked teams this season.

Virginia upset then-No. 10 Arizona, and the Hawkeyes beat both Louisville and Texas.

“It’s a crucial stretch for us,” Carr said. “We’re playing two great teams, two good teams, and we know that they will be well-prepared.”

The game against Virginia also brings a high profile non-conference opponent to Ames, something the Cyclones have been looking for. The game, which begins at 6 p.m., will be televised on ESPN2.

“[Virginia] will be a test, and we look forward to the challenge,” said ISU head coach Wayne Morgan. “First of all, it will give our fans a chance to see a very, very good opponent in Hilton in the non-conference schedule, which is something everyone has been clamoring for. And then, obviously, it will give us a chance to measure ourselves and see where we are and what improvements we need to make.”