The West Virginia Mountaineers (14-9, 3-7 Big 12) will try to overcome one of the nation’s top scoring defenses when they host the No. 11 Iowa State Cyclones (16-6, 7-3 Big 12) on Wednesday. Iowa State topped the Kansas Jayhawks 68-53 at James H. Hilton Coliseum on Saturday.
With 15 points, Jaren Holmes was the top scorer. Tamin Lipsey chipped in with 9 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds. The Cyclones remain second in the Big 12 Conference.
West Virginia won in impressive fashion on Saturday at WVU Coliseum, beating the Oklahoma Sooners 93-61. Erik Stevenson had 34 points and six rebounds, leading the team. The Mountaineers are eighth in the Big 12 Conference.
The teams are meeting for the only time this season. Iowa State and West Virginia split their matchups last season, taking one apiece. The Cyclones got the win in the last meeting 84-81 at James H. Hilton Coliseum in February 2022. Izaiah Brockington led the Cyclones with 35 points.
Gabe Osabuohien had 19 points in defeat. Holmes and Gabe Kalscheur, averaging 13.6 and 13.2 points per game, respectively, have led the Cyclones in scoring this season. Meanwhile, Osun Osunniyi is grabbing 4.0 rebounds per game, and Lipsey is dishing 5.0 assists.
Stevenson (14.9 ppg) has been the primary provider for the Mountaineers on offense. Jimmy Bell Jr. is collecting 5.8 rebounds per game, and Kedrian Johnson is tallying 2.9 assists. The Cyclones are holding opponents to 61.0 points per game, ranking as one of the toughest scoring defenses in the NCAA (12th).
The Cyclones have had little success at WVU Coliseum in recent seasons, losing eight of the last 10 visits. Iowa State is 6-4 in the last 10 games with an average margin of +4.5 (69.9-65.4).
For the season, the Cyclones are averaging 70.7 points per game, compared to 61.0 for opponents. West Virginia has a 4-6 record over the last 10, scoring 73.2 points per game on average while holding opponents to 71.2 (+2.0 margin). The Mountaineers are averaging 77.6 ppg for the full season while allowing 69.1.
CYCLONES HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Tre King: 12.4 | 5.6 | +6.8
Aljaz Kunc: 0.3 | 8.8 | -8.6
Points per game:
Osun Osunniyi: 11.6 | 9.3 | +2.3
Rebounds per game:
Caleb Grill: 2.2 | 3.7 | -1.5
MOUNTAINEERS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Erik Stevenson: 29.8 | 21.0 | +8.8
Points per game:
Erik Stevenson: 21.0 | 14.9 | +6.1
Tre Mitchell: 7.6 | 12.0 | -4.4
Rebounds per game:
Erik Stevenson: 5.6 | 3.5 | +2.1
Assists per game:
Joe Toussaint: 1.6 | 2.7 | -1.1
SportsTips’ College Basketball Pick:
Iowa State (+155)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
