West Virginia guard Kysre Gondrezick (2) takes the ball around the perimeter against the Iowa State Cyclones in Ames, Iowa, on Feb. 24, 2021.

West Virginia guard Kysre Gondrezick (2) takes the ball around the perimeter against the Iowa State Cyclones in Ames, Iowa, on Feb. 24, 2021. 

The No. 18 West Virginia women’s basketball team struggled to get anything going against Iowa State on Wednesday night, as they lost in Ames, Iowa, 85-68.

WVU (17-4, 11-4 Big 12) struggled to not turnover the ball as it was missing starting guard Madisen Smith due to injury.

In the first quarter, the Mountaineers and Cyclones (15-9, 11-6 Big 12) shot the lights out, with both teams combining for nine made threes. WVU shot 5-of-7 from three-point range in the first period, while ISU shot 4-of-6. The rest of the game was a different story for the Mountaineers.

Iowa State took a six-point lead into the half after West Virginia turned the ball over 10 times in the first half. 

In the third quarter, the Cyclones didn’t take their foot off the gas, hitting four three-pointers. ISU once again, scored 20 points in an individual quarter. West Virginia allowed five ISU players to score in double figures in the loss. 

The Cyclones were able to maintain a comfortable lead for the remaining time of the game, winning by 17 points on their senior night.

Kysre Gondrezick led the Mountaineers in scoring with a 19-point performance on Wednesday night. Gondrezick shot 6-of-10 from the field and shot a perfect 6-of-6 from the foul line.

K.K. Deans contributed with 14 points, making 3-of-6 three-point attempts. The sophomore guard recorded seven rebounds and four assists against the Cyclones.

Jayla Hemmingway was able to receive more playing time, as she returned to the team last weekend. Hemmingway scored 12 points on just 4-of-11 shooting.

In the first two minutes of the game, Esmery Martinez picked up two fouls. Martinez didn’t see the floor until the second half. The sophomore forward from the Dominican Republic finished the game with eight points and pulled down 10 rebounds. 

Iowa State controlled the game by making 13-of-27 three-pointers. The Mountaineers shot just 8-of-23 from the three-point line. ISU was able to force 17 West Virginia turnovers throughout the game, taking advantage and scoring 18 points off of them.

West Virginia will continue to be on the road for the rest of the regular season, as the next trip will be to Lawrence, Kansas, as the Mountaineers will take on the Jayhawks on Saturday afternoon. The game will be on ESPN+, starting at 2 p.m.