The Iowa State women’s basketball team is back in the Big 12 Conference race after a three-game winning streak.

The Cyclones will try to stay hot when they take on No. 20 West Virginia at noon Sunday in Morgantown, West Virginia.

It’s a huge game for the Cyclones (13-6 overall, 4-2 Big 12), who after a slow start to the Big 12 season suddenly find themselves back in the hunt for the conference crown.

Iowa State has rattled off consecutive victories over Arizona State, Arizona and Texas Tech. The Cyclones will face a tough West Virginia (14-3, 4-2) team that has won four of its last five games.

Watch Iowa State vs. West Virginia on Fubo (free trial)

What channel is West Virginia vs Iowa State women’s basketball on today?

TV channel: FOX

Livestream: Fubo (free trial)

When does West Virginia vs Iowa State start?

Date: Sunday, Jan. 19

Start time: Noon CT, at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia.

West Virginia 2024-25 schedule

• Record: 14-3, 4-2 Big 12
• Nov. 5: Towson, W, 85-41
• Nov. 9: Niagara, W, 110-41
• Nov. 12: Pitt, W, 82-54
• Nov. 15: Texas A&M, W, 83-62
• Nov. 19: Bowling Green, W, 78-47
• Nov. 22: Lafayette, W, 98-28
• Nov. 29: High Point, W, 89-54
• Nov. 30: Boise State, W, 82-47
• Dec. 1: Texas, L, 78-73
• Dec. 6: East Tennessee State, W, 85-40
• Dec. 15: Temple, W, 68-46
• Dec. 21: Colorado, L, 65-60
• Jan. 1: UCF, W, 80-58
• Jan. 4: BYU, W, 66-53
• Jan. 8: Texas Tech, W, 89-53
• Jan. 11: Oklahoma State, L, 64-57
• Jan. 15: Colorado, W, 73-46

Iowa State 2024-25 schedule

• Record 13-6, 4-2 Big 12
• Nov. 4: Chicago State, W, 95-65
• Nov. 7: Indiana State, W, 64-42
• Nov. 10: Southern, W, 84-56
• Nov. 14: St. Thomas, W, 80-47
• Nov. 20: Northern Iowa, L, 87-75
• Nov. 24: Drake, W, 80-78
• Nov. 28: South Carolina, L, 76-36
• Nov. 30: Middle Tennessee, W, 75-59
• Dec. 3: USC Upstate, W, 92-35
• Dec. 8: Central Michigan, W, 82-56
• Dec. 11: Iowa, L, 75-69
• Dec. 15: Eastern Illinois, W, 87-55
• Dec. 17: UConn, L, 101-68
• Dec. 21: Oklahoma State, L, 81-75
• Jan. 1: Kansas, W, 78-64
• Jan. 5: Utah, L, 75-67
• Jan. 8: Arizona State, W, 90-83
• Jan 11: Arizona, W, 79-58
• Jan. 14: Texas Tech, W, 71-58

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468

The night was a mixture of triumph and tragedy for the Utah Red Rocks gymnastics team, as their victory over Iowa State was overshadowed by the devastating injury to freshman Avery Neff. While the team delivered a season-high score of 197.300 and showcased remarkable growth, the loss of Neff, the No. 1 recruit, left an emotional void.

The atmosphere in the Huntsman Center shifted dramatically when Neff’s final tumbling pass on floor ended in disaster. A routine that had already demonstrated her exceptional talent turned into heartbreak when her ankle gave out, and she fell face-first onto the mat. Her left leg bent awkwardly, and she immediately clutched her ankle in pain. Medical personnel and coaches rushed to her aid, and the usually electric crowd fell silent. Teammates cried openly on the sidelines, their emotions mirroring the collective concern of the Red Rocks family.

Neff had been a standout performer throughout the night, earning high scores on vault (9.900), bars (9.850), and beam (9.925). Her contributions exemplified why she had been ranked so highly coming into the season, and her injury was a significant blow to the team’s momentum. Head coach Carly Dockendorf expressed the team’s mixed emotions, emphasizing the difficulty of balancing a strong performance with the sadness of losing a key member.

“What an amazing three quarters of our meet there, and was just feeling so good about everything we had done,” Dockendorf said. “This is the tough part about sports anywhere on any team, and it’s just — it’s hard to watch. It definitely kind of changed the emotional feeling of the meet at the end, but this is why we’re a team.”

Utah Athletics to take over NIL management from collective ahead of house settlement

Despite the emotional impact, the team showed incredible resilience, finishing the meet with poise. Veteran Jaylene Gilstrap, tasked with following Neff on floor, delivered a beautiful routine that earned a 9.90, helping the team maintain focus. Grace McCallum followed suit, closing out the floor rotation with another 9.90. Dockendorf praised her gymnasts for their ability to stay composed, acknowledging their determination to finish strong.

The meet itself was a testament to the Red Rocks’ improvement. They opened with a season-best 49.300 on vault, led by Neff’s 9.900 and Camie Winger’s 9.875. McCallum’s return to competition with a Yurchenko 1.5 vault marked a significant milestone, even though her landing was slightly off. On bars, McCallum dazzled with a 9.975, earning that score for the second consecutive meet. The beam rotation was equally impressive, with Neff contributing a near-perfect 9.925 and Winger adding a 9.900.

Where Utah ranks among Big 12 schools on Top 75 College Athletics Valuations list

While Utah dominated Iowa State, whose best apparatus score was a 49.000 on floor, the victory felt hollow. The Cyclones struggled throughout the meet, particularly on bars, where they were forced to count multiple low scores. Utah’s win showcased their depth and talent, but the team’s joy was tempered by Neff’s uncertain status.

As the night ended, the team gathered around their injured teammate, embodying the unity and support that define the Red Rocks program. Neff’s injury served as a stark reminder of the unpredictability of sports and the strength required to overcome adversity. For the Red Rocks, the final score may have been a victory on paper, but the real story was the resilience of a team rallying around one of their own in a moment of profound loss. At the end of the night, Neff took time to post on her Instagram story. Her caption was simple with “God’s Plan >>>”. Neff’s only words to keep Utah fans guessing about the status of the star freshman.

How much can the narrative surrounding a team change in less than one week?

Just last Saturday, Iowa basketball was riding high after a 25-point win over Indiana. This marked back-to-back home victories and inspired some optimism about what the Hawkeyes are capable of this season.

Two games later, those feelings have shifted dramatically.

Saying Iowa’s West Coast trip was a disappointment is an understatement. The Hawkeyes suffered a pair of double-digit losses, the latest of which was a 94-70 blowout to UCLA on Friday. Iowa never led for a single second throughout those two games.

Understandably, there is mounting frustration from the fan base.

But as ugly as these two games were, Iowa’s season does not end here. The Hawkeyes still have 13 regular season games remaining, plus at least one more in the Big Ten Tournament, assuming Iowa makes the 15-team field.

More: Iowa basketball: Leistikow’s thoughts on one of Fran McCaffery’s worst losses with Hawkeyes

For better or worse, the season’s fate is still in the balance. With so many games remaining, there is plenty of time for the Hawkeyes to get back on track. But there is also plenty of time for it to get much worse.

“I think we have a really good group with guys with character,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said Friday. “We’ve got some veteran guys. We will try to move on from what has not been a good trip and learn from some of the mistakes we made. Will remain positive. I want them to remain positive with each other.”

More: Iowa basketball vs UCLA: Recap of Hawkeyes’ loss to the Bruins

Iowa (12-6, 3-4) got jumped on early in Friday’s contest and never recovered.

Remarkably, UCLA made its first nine shots from the field. To make matters worse, Payton Sandfort got banged up in the first half and sat out the majority of the game. The Bruins led by 33 points at halftime, making the rest of the game a mere formality.

In what has been a theme this season — and even more broadly, in McCaffery’s Hawkeye tenure — the Iowa defense folded. UCLA shot 62% from the field and 35% from deep. During the West Coast trip, Iowa allowed its opponents to shoot a combined 63% from the field.

“They were really aggressive and shot it well not only inside but from the perimeter,” McCaffery said of UCLA. “I thought we worked really hard in practice the last couple of days. I thought we would be better. Got to give them credit for it. We got better as the game went on. But we’ve got to be better at the start.”

Iowa is now 0-4 in true road games, with losses to Michigan, Wisconsin, USC and UCLA. Only one of those four came by single digits. The Hawkeyes have allowed an average of 98.5 points during that span.

Allowing 116 points in a road loss to Wisconsin should’ve been enough of a wake-up call. And to its credit, Iowa responded with consecutive wins following that loss. But then, a similar failure happened again. And again.

The Hawkeyes’ season is now on the verge of spiraling.

At the same time, a season is not supposed to be defined by adversity. But rather how one responds to it. If every team that dealt with challenges quit, no one would be left standing.

Take UCLA for example. The Bruins entered Friday having lost five of their last six games, including four straight. The sky was falling until Friday when suddenly it wasn’t anymore.

Rutgers was in a similar situation. The Scarlet Knights started 1-4 in Big Ten play but have now won their last two, including a road victory over Nebraska. Things are looking up for them.

There is nothing that says Iowa can’t do the same. The Hawkeyes will have plenty of opportunities.

At Carver-Hawkeye Arena alone, Iowa is still set to face Michigan State, Purdue, Oregon and Wisconsin, among others, all of which should present resume-building opportunities. The Hawkeyes have lost just one game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season, against No. 2 Iowa State.

McCaffery’s team will have plenty of chances away from home too, though it will need to overcome its road woes to remain competitive.

“I didn’t see a lack of effort,” McCaffery said Friday. “I saw a lack of execution to some of the things that we prepared for and that’s disappointing because that leads to falling behind. Of all the teams that I’ve coached, it’s one that I’m really proud of, any team that I’ve ever had, even before I came here, our guys stay locked into the game plan and they compete. And they compete in terms of how they think.”

More: Iowa basketball: Payton Sandfort injures shoulder in UCLA game

Clearly, Iowa needs to get better to make the NCAA Tournament. The Hawkeyes’ performances in California were inexcusably poor.

But there is still so much season left to play. Which means the best could still be yet to come. And so could the worst.

 Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com