The West Virginia Mountaineers (5-2) dropped their second consecutive game on Sunday, this time to the Xavier Musketeers (4-3). XU sank 16 triples on 25 attempts, raining terror on WVU’s defense. Read more: Growing pains continue as WVU falls to Xavier in Charleston Classic
West Virginia’s solid day from the field (43%) was suppressed thanks to Xavier’s sustained sharpshooting from behind the arc. On the bright side for WVU, Treysen Eaglestaff finally got going and led the Mountaineers with 20 points.
First half
Brenen Lorient made an immediate impression in the opening minute for the Mountaineers by dunking the first basket of the contest. WVU dominated the opening four minutes of play and possessed an early 11-3 lead.
Xavier inched closer and cut the lead to 14-13, but a 7-0 WVU run reaffirmed the Mountaineers’ early dominance. That all changed once the Musketeers picked up the pace and started pocketing triples.
WVU went cold and XU finished the half on a 21-5 run. The Musketeers held a 36-28 advantage at the break.
Second half
Halftime did not thwart Xavier’s momentum and the onslaught continued. Jova Milicevic and Tre Carroll were the biggest contributors to the Musketeer triple-fest, as they finished the game with five made three-pointers each. Their performances assisted XU in pulling away in the second half.
Xavier responded nearly every time WVU got to within six to eight points in the second half, demoralizing a developing Mountaineer squad. It was just too much for WVU in the end.
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WVU kept up offensively, only being outscored by two points in the half. It was the end of the first half that really did the Mountaineers in.
Standouts
WVU got a much-needed, productive outing from Eaglestaff. His 20 points were not enough to get the win, but he finally had a solid night from the field (8-15). The North Dakota transfer had no luck behind the arc, though, shooting 0-5 in that regard.
Honor Huff put in another solid shift by scoring 16 and playing 34 minutes.
Milicevic was the standout for Xavier, racking up team-highs in points (21) and rebounds (7). It was a complete team effort for the Musketeers, and their accuracy from deep was unmatched.
Of Xavier’s 25 successful field goals on Sunday, 16 came from behind the arc. To note, the team was flawless from the charity stripe (12-12).
Final wrap
WVU returns to action inside Hope Coliseum at 3 p.m. on Nov. 30, against Mercyhurst. The Mountaineers have a full week to recharge and try to bounce back after two tough losses in the Charleston Classic.
Every WVU Men’s Basketball game broadcast streams on 100.9 FM The Torch and its nine affiliate stations. Stay up to date with WV Sports Nation for coverage of all things WVU Athletics.
