WVU Men’s Basketball (1-0) did not get off to the start it wanted Monday night against Niagara, but the Mountaineers quickly found their rhythm. Read more: West Virginia uses 20-0 first half run to roll past Niagara in season opener.
WVU fell behind 16-6 while shooting just 25% from the field at the first media timeout. However, the Mountaineers responded with a 10-0 run coming out of the timeout to erase the deficit and tie the game at 16.
A steal sparked the run, leading to a Miles Sadler assist and a dunk from Mouhamed Sylla. The sequence helped West Virginia take its first lead of the night as the Mountaineers began to find their offensive flow.
Following the game, head coach Ross Hodge pointed to some early defensive adjustments that helped West Virginia settle in.
“We made some minor adjustments with our ball screen coverages, tried to be a little more aggressive,” Hodge said. “We were able to start getting deflections, long rebounds. Miles got out in transition, got some easy baskets, and kind of got us going.”
Sadler sustained the momentum, using a crossover to create space for another basket and reach eight points. By the third media timeout of the first half, WVU had built a 29-19 advantage.
Mountaineers build double-digit lead
Javan Buchanan checked back into the game and immediately made his presence felt, converting a three-point play to extend West Virginia’s lead.
Joson Sanon, the St. John’s transfer, followed with a three-pointer on the next possession to push the advantage to 35-21, WVU’s largest lead of the game to that point.
Niagara answered with a layup from Logan Woods, but the Mountaineers found more scoring opportunities as the first half wound down. Sylla converted a second-chance jumper before Finley Bizjack knocked down three free throws after drawing a shooting foul.
Woods answered with another layup, but Bizjack came right back with a three-pointer off an assist from Martin Somerville to put WVU ahead 43-28.
Cole Farrell added a late basket for Niagara, but West Virginia carried a 43-30 lead into the locker room.
Hodge viewed the first-half turnaround as an important response from a team that is still getting accustomed to playing together.
“If you’re down ten to start and you’re up 13 at the half, that’s a 23-point swing in probably 12 minutes,” Hodge said.
West Virginia pulls away in the second half
West Virginia picked up where it left off coming out of halftime. Sadler opened the scoring with a free throw after recording a steal, and Sylla followed with a layup to push the Mountaineers’ lead to 46-30.
Sadler knocked down a three-pointer shortly after, extending the advantage to 49-32. Niagara tried to keep pace, with Woods answering from beyond the arc, but West Virginia piled on.
Seydou Traore connected on a three-pointer off an assist from Bizjack, and Somerville added a free throw before knocking down a three of his own to put WVU ahead 56-39.
The Mountaineers began to create even more separation as Niagara struggled with turnovers. After Buchanan converted a free throw, Amadou Seini grabbed an offensive rebound and finished the second-chance opportunity.
Sanon then knocked down a three-pointer off an assist from Sadler to make it a 62-39 game. Following another Niagara turnover, Sanon connected from beyond the arc again to extend the lead to 65-39.
Defense takes control
Somerville took advantage of the Mountaineers’ offensive momentum, knocking down three-pointers on consecutive possessions to help WVU build a 71-41 advantage.
Hodge credited defensive intensity for helping West Virginia take control of the game.
“Martin, Joson, Javan, Seini, really kind of galvanized us defensively,” Hodge said. “And their intensity started to turn them over, got some layups.”
Sadler added a driving layup as West Virginia capitalized on Niagara’s mistakes. Brenen Lorient later converted a pair of free throws before knocking down a three-pointer off an assist from Somerville, pushing the lead to 78-41.
Sylla provided another defensive highlight with a blocked shot before finishing a dunk on the other end off a Sadler assist. The Mountaineers added to their advantage, with Sadler converting two free throws and Buchanan adding a driving layup.
Somerville finished another drive to the basket, while Buchanan connected from three-point range to make it 89-46. Seini added a hook shot in the paint to push West Virginia’s lead to 91-46 with just over two minutes remaining.
Mountaineers cruise to 91-46 win
West Virginia finished the night with a 45-point victory, opening the 2026-27 season with a convincing win at Hope Coliseum.
The Mountaineers shot 52.5% from the field and 43.3% from three-point range, knocking down 13 of their 30 attempts from beyond the arc. WVU also forced 24 Niagara turnovers while committing just nine of its own.
Sadler led West Virginia with 16 points and nine assists. Lorient added 13 points, knocking down three three-pointers, while Somerville finished with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Somerville also recorded a team-best plus-minus of +42 in 22 minutes.
Hodge was particularly impressed with Somerville’s defensive presence and leadership coming off the bench.
“His defensive intensity and his competitive spirit was really infectious. His voice was infectious,” Hodge said.
Buchanan and Bizjack each finished with 11 points, while Sylla added 10 points and seven rebounds. Sanon contributed nine points, connecting on three of his six attempts from three-point range.
West Virginia also controlled the glass, finishing with a 36-24 rebounding advantage. The Mountaineers scored 24 points off turnovers and received 36 points from their bench.
Hodge also recognized Sadler’s playmaking ability after the freshman finished with nine assists and three turnovers.
“He’s a gifted passer, he’s a willing passer,” Hodge said. “His ability to get in tight spaces collapses a defense, naturally.”
After trailing by as many as 10 points in the first half, WVU responded with a dominant stretch of basketball and never looked back.
The Mountaineers return to the court Friday to take on Stetson. Tipoff from Morgantown is set for 7 p.m. at Hope Coliseum.
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