The Inter-Mountain file photo West Virginia will be without junior guard James ‘Beetle’ Bolden for tonight’s game at Iowa State due to an ankle injury.

The Inter-Mountain file photo
West Virginia will be without junior guard James ‘Beetle’ Bolden for tonight’s game at Iowa State due to an ankle injury.

MORGANTOWN – Struggling West Virginia will be without junior guard James “Beetle” Bolden when the Mountaineers travel to No. 20 Iowa State this evening.

Game time is set for 7 p.m. and the Big 12 Conference encounter will be televised on ESPNU.

West Virginia enters the contest with a 9-11 overall record and 1-6 mark in league play. The Mountaineers are coming off an 83-66 loss at top-ranked Tennessee after leading by 12 points in the first half. Bolden injured his ankle during the contest.

“I asked Beetle if he wanted to make the trip or stay (in Morgantown) and get more treatment,” Mountaineer coach Bob Huggins said. “He said he really wanted to play and be with the team, but at the same time he wanted to get back as fast as he possibly can, so I think it will be better for him to stay here. It was his decision.

“At times, (Beetle) has been our only offense, so we’re going to really miss him.”

Bolden is averaging nearly 15 points per game in Big 12 play.

In his place, the Mountaineers will look to a pair of freshmen — Jordon McCabe or Brandon Knapper.

McCabe had six points and four assists in Saturday’s game, while senior forward Esa Ahmad had 16 points and freshman forward Derek Culver added 15 points.

The Cyclones, meanwhile, enter the contest 15-5 and 4-3 in Big 12 play. They are coming off an impressive 87-73 win at Ole Miss on Saturday.

Marial Shayok, a 6-foot-6 senior guard, averages 19.7 points to pace Iowa State, while freshman forward Talen Horton-Tucker fired in 23 points in Saturday’s win.

“They added Shayok (a Virginia transfer), who is a really good player, and they had a really good recruiting class,” Huggins said. “And some guys have matured for them.”

Iowa State is averaging 81.1 points under head coach Steve Prohm this season at home and is hitting 38.7 percent from beyond the arc.

West Virginia will return home after today’s game to face Oklahoma at noon on Saturday. The Mountaineers will then travel to Texas Tech at 9 p.m. on Monday.