Harler Scores 14 As WVU Defeats Iowa State, 76-61
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MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia's Oscar Tshiebwe is making double-doubles seem routine.
The freshman had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 13 West Virginia breezed to a 76-61 victory over Iowa State on Wednesday night.
"He gets better every day," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. "He wants to learn. He wants to get better."
Tshiebwe is the Mountaineers' second-leading scorer at 10.7 points per game and the leading rebounder at 9.7. He has four games with at least 17 rebounds. This was his eighth double-double.
"Play hard," Tshiebwe said. "Not everybody plays hard. If you keep playing hard, people are going to get tired, which is going to make it easier for you."
West Virginia didn't necessarily play smart against the Cyclones. Huggins left the court agitated about his team's 19 turnovers and making just 50% of its free throws.
"To turn it over 19 times is ridiculous," Huggins said. "When guys play bad, they miss free throws. If you're a major college team, you don't go 12 for 24. Are you kidding me?"
The Mountaineers are next-to-last in the Big 12 from the free-throw line at 65%.
Chase Harler added 14 points, Emmitt Matthews Jr. and Derek Culver scored 12 points apiece, and Jermaine Haley scored 11 points for the Mountaineers (18-4, 6-3 Big 12).
West Virginia never trailed. Five minutes into the game the Mountaineers built a lead that didn't fall below double digits.
"Our defensive effort the first five minutes was just really poor," Iowa State coach Steve Prohm said. "It was getting beat off the dribble. It was second-chance. It was just physicality around in the paint."
Matthews scored in double figures for the first time since Dec. 14, a span of a dozen games. He had scored in double digits in six of the first 10 games, then his scoring touch evaporated -- until now.
"Nothing's changed," Matthews said. "You don't go away from the recipe. I'm still in the gym early mornings to this day."
Matthews was the early catalyst Wednesday, scoring all 12 of his points in the first half. West Virginia made nine of its first 11 shots and finished 29 of 58 (50%) for the game.
Iowa State trailed by 24 points after halftime. The Cyclones were outrebounded 46-28, including 18-9 on the offensive end. West Virginia is eighth in the country in rebounds per game.
"I mean there's no question the physicality was a huge difference in the game," Prohm said.
Rasir Bolton scored 18 points for the Cyclones (9-13, 2-7) and Tyrese Haliburton added 12.
BIG PICTURE
Iowa State: The Cyclones shot 40% from the floor and fell to 0-7 this season on the road.
West Virginia: The Mountaineers improved to 12-0 at home, seven of which have been by at least 20 points.
HAILING HARLER
Harler had a season high for points on 5-of-9 shooting, including three 3-pointers.
"Chase has played really well," Huggins said. "We wouldn't be 18-4 without Chase."
UP NEXT
Iowa State host Kansas State on Saturday.
West Virginia plays at Oklahoma on Saturday.
NO. 19 BUTLER 79, NO. 10 VILLANOVA 76
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Kamar Baldwin made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer and scored 17 points, lifting No. 19 Butler over No. 10 Villanova.
The Bulldogs (18-5, 6-4 Big East) snapped a five-game losing streak in the series as Sean McDermott scored 21 points and Bryce Golden added a career high 18 points. The game was delayed for nearly 15 minutes in the first half when the roof of 92-year-old Hinkle Fieldhouse sprung a leak.
Maintenance workers got the water stopped and the floor dried.
Villanova (17-5, 7-3) rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final six minutes, tying the score on Saddiq Bey's 3-pointer with 24 seconds to go. Bey had 29 points and six rebounds.
The Bulldogs did not call timeout and let Baldwin nearly dribble out the clock before he taking the 3 just before time expired, connecting on a shot from the right wing beyond the arc.
PURDUE 104, NO. 17 IOWA 68
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Evan Boudreaux scored a season-high 18 points to lead five Purdue players in double figures. Boudreaux hit 7 of 9 shots and had a team-high eight rebounds
Jahaad Proctor, Matt Haarms and Sasha Stefanovic each scored 15 points for the Boilermakers (13-10, 6-6 Big Ten). Proctor made all six of his shots. Purdue's Eric Hunter Jr. added 13 points and a team-high seven assists.
Luka Garza led the Hawkeyes (16-7, 7-5) with 26 points and was their only player in double figures.
PROVIDENCE 73, NO. 21 CREIGHTON 56
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A.J. Reeves set season highs with 22 points and six 3-pointers, and Providence pulled away from Creighton.
Providence (13-10, 6-4 Big East) defeated a ranked foe for a second straight game after topping then-No. 16 Butler on the road Saturday. Alpha Diallo, limited to bench duty against the Bulldogs amid a two-game slump, bounced back with 14 points and six rebounds.
Ty-Shone Alexander led Creighton (17-6, 6-4) with 15 points but was just 5 of 15 from the field. Christian Bishop and Damien Jefferson each had 13 points.
NO. 12 SETON HALL 78, GEORGETOWN 71
WASHINGTON -- Myles Powell scored 34 points, Romaro Gill tied a career-high with eight blocks and No. 12 Seton Hall raced out to a big lead and beat Georgetown.
The Pirates (17-5, 9-1) jumped out to a 16-0 lead, going 4 for 4 on 3-pointers. Powell, the second leading scorer in the Big East, hit his scoring average of 21 points by halftime.
Seton Hall's Quincy McKnight was in the starting line-up and finished with eight points and a game-high 10 assists in 22 minutes. He was listed as day to day after leaving Saturday's loss to Xavier early with a left knee injury.
The Pirates improved to 5-0 on the road in the Big East. They have won nine of 11 against Georgetown.
Georgetown (13-10, 3-7) was playing for the second straight game without leading scorer Mac McClung, who was out with an injured right foot.
Omer Yurtseven led the Hoyas with 19 points and 15 rebounds, his 13th double-double of the season. Georgetown's Jahvon Blair had 18 points while Terrell Allen added 11 points.
Seton Hall held Georgetown to 33.8% shooting as Gill had eight of the Pirates 11 blocks. The Hoyas stayed in the game by hitting 21 of 24 free throws.