Despite keeping things close for the first half, No. 20 Iowa State lost Wednesday to No. 2 Baylor by a score of 84-69, the team’s largest loss of the season.

The loss drops Iowa State to 14-5 on the season and to 4-3 in Big 12 Conference play. It’s also the seventh straight time the Cyclones have fallen to Baylor, with all games being decided by at least 15 points in favor of the Bears.

For much of the first half, it looked as if Iowa State senior Bridget Carleton would will the Cyclones to victory, or at least keep things close. Carleton scored 24 of the team’s 35 first half points, and even put Iowa State in front by two points midway through the second quarter. The Cyclones trailed at six by the end of the half, but were still very much in the game.

Carleton was clamped down in the second half, however, and only scored four more points as the Bears jumped out to a lead as high as 23 points in the fourth quarter. Senior guard Alexa Middleton added 18 points and sophomore forward Kristin Scott added 12 as Iowa State attempted to keep pace, but the rest of the Cyclones roster combined for only 11 points.

The Bears, meanwhile, had five players score in double figures as the team shot over 53 percent from the field and over 41 percent from three. Lauren Cox led the way for Baylor with a near triple-double, scoring 22 points with nine rebounds and seven assists.

Iowa State will play its next game on Saturday when the team travels to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to take on Oklahoma State. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m.