MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – WVU (16-10, 7-6 in the Big 12) lost a must-win game against Utah, 61-56. West Virginia’s chances of making the NCAA Tournament are now minuscule, with a loss against the last-place team in the Big 12. The Mountaineers did not lead at any point in the game and trailed for 39 minutes and 35 seconds. WVU suits up on Saturday against TCU in Fort Worth, Texas. Read more: Utah spoils WVU’s tournament hopes.
First half
Utah won the tip-off, and Keanu Dawes scored the first basket of the game. The Utes took an early 4-0 lead after a floater from Don McHenry. Terrence Brown kept things rolling for Utah, as they jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first two minutes. McHenry nailed a three-pointer from the corner, which forced Ross Hodge to call his first timeout.
Honor Huff put WVU on the scoreboard with a three-pointer out of the timeout. WVU’s energy to start the game was low, and they made several lackadaisical plays. Utah took advantage and took a 15-3 lead with 14 minutes remaining in the half.
Treysen Eaglestaff broke a five-minute scoring drought, but only made one of two at the line. The Mountaineers went six minutes without a field goal before DJ Thomas made a layup to make it 18-6 in favor of Utah. Eaglestaff followed it with a turnaround shot off the glass. Utah snapped a five-minute scoring drought with a three-pointer by Brown to give them a 21-8 lead.
Eaglestaff made a driving layup to cut the lead to single digits with less than six minutes remaining in the half. Amir Jenkins earned a trip to the line, but only converted one of two to cut the deficit to eight. Dawes was fouled shooting a three-pointer for Utah, and made all three free throws to grow the lead to 11.
Huff made a three-pointer on a fast break off a steal by Jenkins to bring the crowd to their feet. Chance Moore answered a Utah three-pointer with a driving layup at the two-minute mark. The Utes canned a three from the corner from Seydou Traore, and Jasper Floyd answered with a driving layup. Utah took a 31-21 lead into the break.
At the break
Honor Huff led WVU with six points at the break, making two of six three-pointers. Eaglestaff had five points. Chance Moore had four points off the bench for the Mountaineers. WVU shot 30.4% from the field and two of 12 from behind the arc. Over half of their shots were three-pointers, and they also struggled from the free-throw line, making five of 10.
Related: Gators Invitational: Mountaineers place 18th in spring season debut
Seydou Traore and Don McHenry led Utah with 10 points apiece. They are a combined four of six from behind the arc. Utah shot 41.4% from the field in the first half, and four of nine (44.4%) from behind the arc.
Second half
Traore started the second half with a three-pointer from the corner for Utah. McHenry made a floater to give Utah a 36-21 lead. Harlan Obioha made the first point of the second half for WVU at the free-throw line. Floyd made a layup from an assist from Brenen Lorient, but Brown responded with a basket in the paint for Utah. Lorient scored his first points of the game on a driving layup on the following possession.
Lorient scored three consecutive baskets as he started to bring some life to West Virginia’s offense. Moore earned a trip to the charity stripe and converted one of two to make it 45-31 in favor of the Utes. He made a three-pointer on the next possession to bring some energy to the crowd. Floyd made a driving layup after a missed Utah three-pointer to bring WVU within nine points.
Moore grabbed an offensive board following a Huff missed shot and dunked it home. Moore brought the energy off the bench and gave the Mountaineers a spark they desperately needed. He got a chance for an and-one after a goal tend, but missed the free throw. Lorient grabbed the rebound and made the layup to make it 47-42 in favor of Utah. Brown made a second-chance layup for the Utes, but Eaglestaff answered with a layup.
Mountaineers mount a comeback
The Mountaineers cut the deficit to five points before the media timeout with eight minutes remaining in the game. Kendyl Sanders got fouled and made both free throws for Utah, which gave them a seven-point lead. Terrence Brown stretched the lead to nine with a turnaround jumper in the paint. Lorient answered with a dunk off an assist from Eaglestaff.
Huff made a fast-break three-pointer that ignited the crowd and pulled WVU within four points. Eaglestaff converted a layup at the four-minute mark, which brought WVU within two points. Brown made a reverse layup to give the Utes a four-point lead with two and a half minutes remaining.
WVU turned the ball over with just over a minute remaining, and McHenry drew a foul on the other end. He made both free throws to bring the Utah lead to six points. Huff made a three-pointer with 33 seconds remaining, and Floyd fouled Brown immediately on the inbound.
Brown missed the front end of the one-and-one, but WVU could not get an open look on the ensuing possession. Utah grabbed the rebound, and Brown went to the free-throw line again. He made the first this time, which gave Utah a two-possession lead. He made the second free throw to give Utah a five-point lead. Jenkins made a layup quickly, leaving six seconds on the game clock. Utah missed both free throws, but WVU threw the ball away with a chance to tie the game. WVU lost 61-56 after the subsequent free throws.
Top performers
- B. Lorient (WVU): 10 points/6 rebounds/3 assists
- C. Moore (WVU): 12 points/4 rebounds/1 steal
- S. Traore (UTA): 17 points/6 rebounds/2 assists/2 blocks/3 steals
- D. McHenry (UTA): 16 points/1 assist
What’s next?
WVU returns to action on Saturday, February 21, against TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, at 5 p.m. EST. They travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to play Oklahoma State on February 24, before returning home to face BYU on February 28.
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.
