WVU Men’s Basketball (10-5, 1-1) took down the Cincinnati Bearcats (8-7, 0-2) on Tuesday at Hope Coliseum in Morgantown. Clutch baskets from Honor Huff and Treysen Eaglestaff dramatically sealed the deal. Read more: Huff saves the day again, Eaglestaff clutches up in 62-60 thriller.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated following the postgame press conferences.
The headlining duo of Mountaineers combined for 34 points and came up big in the final two minutes to seal the deal. Chance Moore quietly added 14 points as the second-highest scorer for WVU on the night.
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It was not pretty, but that does not apply to the win-loss column. Eaglestaff mentioned the importance of working as a team made a difference against Cincinnati.
“We did have a few lapses in our game today,” Eaglestaff said, “but just staying together at the end of it, even if we have those mental errors, I feel like we’re as together as we need to be.”
The North Dakota native came up big in a gutsy performance.
First half
Harlan Obioha won the opening tip for WVU, but Cincinnati took the bounce. Eaglestaff capitalized for the Mountaineers after the Bearcats came up empty on their first possession.
Eaglestaff cashed in for WVU again on a short jumper, while UC came up empty on its first three attempts. Sencire Harris, a former Mountaineer, put Cincinnati on the board with a basket.
Huff shot an improbable triple to extend WVU’s lead 10-4, an advantage that was cut to four points thanks to a UC bucket. WVU led 10-6 at the media timeout with 14:41 remaining in the half.
Huff dazzled with another three-pointer coming out of the timeout, followed by a layup from Moore.
The Bearcats could not get anything going early on, with WVU outscoring UC 7-0 in between the first and second media timeout. WVU’s defensive efforts and UC’s inaccuracy resulted in Cincinnati starting the game 3-12 from the field.
Harris ended a UC scoring drought that lasted over four minutes with a quick tally. Another deep shot from Huff cut the Bearcats’ brief run short. Cincinnati’s momentum picked back up shortly after, cutting WVU’s lead to 22-16 with 7:40 left.
Trading blows
WVU continued to trend downward as the half rolled on, with UC capitalizing on the Mountaineers’ missed shots and lackadaisical defense. The Mountaineers’ lead dwindled to three points with just over five minutes until the break.
As a final heave sailed wide at the buzzer, WVU took a 31-28 lead into halftime.
At the break
Huff carried the Mountaineers in the first half. The Chattanooga transfer and bona fide star for WVU finished the period with 16 points, three rebounds, one assist, and a steal.
WVU shot efficiently (11-22), especially from beyond the arc (6-11). Cincinnati kept pace thanks to advantages in the categories of offensive boards (7-2) and turnovers (4-9), among others.
“We shot a high percentage for the first half,” WVU Head Coach Ross Hodge said. “It was also partnered with turning the ball over nine times, so you don’t even give yourself a chance to get a shot up, and then you put a lot of pressure on your defense.”
Adjustments were needed on both ends of the court.
Second half
Cincinnati took its first lead of the game, 34-31, but Huff tied the game with more heroics. DJ Thomas gave the Mountaineers the lead back with a three-pointer of his own.
The WVU faithful came to life after some shifty ball movement and multiple successful possessions, but UC did not flinch. Jalen Celestine silenced the crowd with a stroke from deep as the shot clock expired.
WVU and UC went back and forth as the second half progressed, locked at 45 apiece halfway through the frame. Cincinnati suffered a plus-two minute scoring drought that was ended by Harris knocking down a free throw.
Only leading by three with 8:12 to go, the Mountaineers needed a spark. Moore gave it to the old gold and blue with a seamless swish from beyond the arc. WVU led by six with 7:41 remaining.
Celestine drew first blood for the Bearcats coming out of the media timeout. Jizzle James reentered the mix for UC by tying the game at 52, followed by another Celestine triple. The 9-0 run forced WVU to burn a timeout and regroup, trailing by three.
The wheels continued to fall off for the Mountaineers. UC extended its run to 11-0, while WVU’s scoring drought exceeded five minutes.
Huff brought the Hope Coliseum collective to its feet with a clutch three to end the cold streak, but missed the and-one. Eaglestaff ended his personal woes with an off-balance triple of his own.
WVU fended off last-second desperation from UC to pick up its first conference win of the season, 62-60.
Top performers
- H. Huff (WVU): 24 points/8 rebounds (career high)/1 assist/1 steal
- T. Eaglestaff (WVU): 10 points/7 rebounds/2 assists/2 steals
- C. Moore (WVU): 14 points
- J. Celestine (UC): 15 points/5 rebounds
What’s next?
WVU is back in action on Saturday against a top-25 Kansas Jayhawks squad. Tip-off inside Hope Coliseum is slated for noon in front of a sold-out crowd.
All Mountaineer basketball games are broadcast across the John Fredericks Media Network. The game will air on 100.9 FM The Torch and its nine affiliate stations.
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