AMES, Iowa (Interstat) — The No. 1-ranked Iowa State Cyclones, one of the nation’s last remaining undefeated teams, put their perfect record on the line Friday when they host the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams.

Iowa State (13-0) has steamrolled its non-conference schedule, including an impressive 81-58 road victory at then-Purdue on Dec. 6. The Cyclones have won every game by at least four points, with an average margin of victory of 28.5 points. They are powered by forward Joshua Jefferson, who is coming off a 23-point, 5-assist performance in an 89-61 win over Houston Christian on Monday. Jefferson has scored 19 or more points in three of his last five games.

West Virginia (9-4) arrives at Hilton Coliseum looking to rebound from a shaky December that included losses to Wake Forest and a double-overtime heartbreaker at Ohio State. The Mountaineers have relied on the hot hand of guard Treysen Eaglestaff, who scored 23 points in two of his last three contests, including in an 86-51 rout of Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 22. Consistency has been an issue, however, as he was held to just five points against the Buckeyes.

The matchup pits Iowa State’s dominant defense, which has held opponents to an average of 60.2 points per game, against a West Virginia offense that has surpassed 80 points in eight of its nine wins but was stifled in its losses. The Mountaineers are 0-2 in true road games this season.

History heavily favors the Cyclones at home, where they are 10-0 this season and have won 18 consecutive games dating back to last year. West Virginia has not won in Ames since 2018.

Friday’s winner will gain an early advantage in the rugged Big 12, considered the nation’s toughest conference. Iowa State begins a challenging stretch with four of its next five games on the road after this contest. West Virginia continues its opening conference gauntlet by hosting Cincinnati on Jan. 6.

Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CST at Hilton Coliseum. The game will be televised on ESPN2.