Midway through the first half, the game was rolling just like many expected — if not more so.

No. 13 Iowa State (16-6 overall, 5-4 Big 12) jumped ahead of No. 14 West Virginia (18-4 overall, 7-2 Big 12) early Tuesday night at Hilton Coliseum, going on a quick 10-4 run. The Cyclones would follow that with a 15-4 run, powered in part by a highlight-reel dunk by forward Deonte Burton.

Just more than 10 minutes into the game, the Cyclones had built up a 15-point lead. There was no need to worry. It was going according to plan.

Yet by the time they left the court, things were entirely different. West Virginia had rallied back, beating Iowa State, 81-76.

“This was a tough loss, a frustrating loss,” said ISU coach Steve Prohm. “We played really well, especially in the first half. Foul trouble negated a lot of good things. They figured out how to get back, and we didn’t close the game well. We’ve got to get better than this.”

Tuesday’s game mirrored that of the Texas A&M loss last Saturday, when the Cyclones were in control of the game with about four minutes to play, but couldn’t find a way to get the win.

The Cyclones had put together an 8-0 run with about four minutes left against the Mountaineers and seemed to have the game in their hands. But it was far from over.

West Virginia didn’t go away, tying the game with just under two minutes to go. From there, the Mountaineers would outlast the Cyclones, picking up two key stops and winning the late-game, free-throw battle.

It was over — West Virginia handed Iowa State its second home loss of the season and second loss in a row.

“We just got out-toughed,” said forward Georges Niang. “When it came down to making plays and making toughness plays, they just out-toughed us.”

Perhaps the biggest difference for the Mountaineers at the end of the game was their full-court pressure. Iowa State had no problems breaking WVU coach Bob Huggins’ trademark press early in the game, but by the end, it was too much for the Cyclones to handle.

“I think they just sped us up the whole game and got us out of what we wanted to do,” said point guard Monté Morris. “They caused us to [create] a lot of turnovers that led to buckets on the other end. They just got us out of sync tonight. You’ve got to give those guys credit.”

The pressure forced 16 team turnovers for the Cyclones, including eight from Niang himself.

That, he said, isn’t something that he can let happen again, and he’s taking full responsibility for it.

“It starts with me,” Niang said. “Turning the ball over eight times, that’s just unacceptable. That type of stuff can’t come from a senior. Point the finger right at me. That type of stuff can’t happen.”

By the end of the game, it was clear that Huggins’ pressure had worked. The Cyclones looked frustrated and couldn’t find a way to break the press.

Not even playing on their home court in front of a nearly sold-out crowd made a difference, which was the worst part of the loss, Niang said. 

“I haven’t lost here much in my career,” Niang said. “It’s just a gut-wrenching feeling. It’s one thing if you lose on the road — it stinks. But losing at home when you have an advantage with this many crazy fans, it’s just tough to overcome.”