MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Kansas State kept going to the foul line, but that wasn't enough to offset No. 13 West Virginia going to the basket.
The Mountaineers dominated the second half for a 85-66 win and dominated by driving the lane with K-State lacking top big man D.J. Johnson.
Jevon Carter finished with 19 points and nine rebounds as West Virginia (20-5, 8-4) scored on 23 dunks or layups, leading to a 50-18 edge in points in the paint.
"We knew they didn't have much of a shot-blocker without D.J., so our minds were just set on attacking the rim," Carter said.
In a closely whistled game, Kansas State (16-9, 5-7) converted 27 of a season-high 40 free throws but couldn't keep pace with West Virginia's 58-percent second-half shooting.
Esa Ahmad had three dunks and a lay-in among his 11 points as the Mountaineers won despite committing a season-high 30 fouls.
"Just trying to cut without the ball," Ahmad said. "Just trying to move more and make the defense keep their head on a swivel."
Wesley Iwundu's 14 points and eight rebounds led K-State, though he was flustered in the second half with only four points, one rebound and five turnovers.
The Wildcats initially handled the press of West Virginia, which came in forcing 22 turnovers per game, tops in Division I. Then came four turnovers during a three-minute span that led to WVU pulling away early in the second half.
"Iwundu's first half was big-time, but in the second half we lost our poise a little bit," said Kansas State coach Bruce Weber.
Twelve players scored for the Mountaineers, who enjoyed a 47-26 rebounding margin.
Kamau Stokes scored 12 and Brian Patrick had 11 for K-State, which got 10 each from Barry Brown and Xavier Sneed. The Wildcats shot only 35 percent from the floor and lost for the fifth time in sixth games.
Johnson's absence loomed huge, considering he produced 14 points and eight rebounds when K-State won the first meeting last month.
"You miss him, there's no doubt about that," Weber said. "I that (first) game you could throw it inside, but now you don't have that inside force."
West Virginia trailed 14-6 before reserve guard Beetle Bolden's 3-pointer and pull-up jumper ignited a 17-1 run over a five-minute stretch in which K-State missed eight consecutive shots.
Iwundu and Patrick countered with 3-pointers during a 15-4 surge that sent ahead the Wildcats ahead before the teams went to intermission tied 34-all.
NOTES:
-- Kansas State has been outrebounded in nine of 12 conference games.
-- Mountaineers G Daxter Miles, after missing the previous game with an ankle injury, played 12 minutes and scored two points.
-- Continuing a string of slow starts, West Virginia has been outscored 33-10 in the first four minutes of its last three games.
-- West Virginia coach Bob Huggins drew a second-half technical foul for mimicking a traveling violation on a no-call. Forward Elijah Macon drew a technical later in the game, reportedly for making the same traveling gesture. "I probably shouldn't talk about it," Huggins said. "I'd like to, but I can't."
