The ISU women’s basketball team’s rally was cut short by West Virginia in Morgantown, W.V. on Wednesday night, as the Mountaineers handed the Cyclones a 57-47 loss and Iowa State’s seventh loss in the last eight games. 

Iowa State (12-11, 4-8 Big 12) got off to a slow start against West Virginia (19-6, 8-4 Big 12). The Cyclones didn’t get on the scoreboard until midway through the first quarter.

However, despite its slow start, Iowa State was able to battle back and secure a lead after the first quarter. But the Mountaineers wouldn’t go away quietly. They fought back against the Cyclones and regained a five-point lead in the second quarter.

Both teams struggled offensively in the first half. Iowa State shot 21 percent from the field and nine percent from behind the arc. West Virginia shot 33 percent from the floor and zero percent from three. The offensive struggles showed on the scoreboard, as it was only 26-21 in West Virginia’s favor.

Iowa State came out firing in the second half. Late in the third quarter quarter, Iowa State cut West Virginia’s lead to three.

In the fourth quarter, the Cyclones battled back to tie it up with the help of junior Seanna Johnson. She carried the team and helped Iowa State get its first lead of the game with 6:45 remaining.

West Virginia almost instantly regained its lead when it went on a 6-0 run in the fourth quarter. Iowa State started fouling but couldn’t find a last-minute rhythm. The Mountaineers put on the foul-court press toward the end of the fourth to put the nail in the coffin.

Johnson led Iowa State with 19 points and eight rebounds. Redshirt sophomore Jadda Buckley finished with 17 points. As a team, Iowa State shot 25 percent from the field and 13 percent from behind the arc.

The Cyclones’ next test will come against TCU at 1 p.m. Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas.