A Yard Blowout! – West Virginia College Athletics

The Mountaineers restricted the Panthers to simply 25% capturing from 3 and 37.7% general whereas forcing 12 turnovers that resulted in 21 factors, a lot to the delight of the 12,453 in attendance right here on per week evening.

“The two areas we challenged our team going into the game were defending without fouling and outrebounding them,” mentioned West Virginia coach Ross Hodge, whose groups have now stored its opposition under 70 factors for the 27^th straight recreation relationship again to final season at North Texas. “I thought our guys did a good job and made it hard on them all night.”

Senior middle Harlan Obioha scored a season-high 19 factors whereas senior guard Honor Huff added 15 for victorious West Virginia, now 4-0 to start out the season for the primary time since 2023.

Guard Jasper Floyd contributed 13 factors and freshman ahead DJ Thomas tallied all 10 of his factors within the first half.

Pitt (3-1) led by seven, 21-14, with 8:01 left within the first half earlier than coming unglued.

Huff acquired issues going with a 3 after which Thomas added a layup to start an 18-2 run over a four-minute stretch that noticed the Panthers’ lone basket coming from Brandin Cummings.

Pitt’s subject objective drought lasted greater than 10 minutes and prolonged into the second half. By the time coach Jeff Capel used his second timeout with 16:29 left, West Virginia was comfortably forward 46-25.

Threes by Nojus Indrusaitis, Roman Siulepa and Cameron Corhen helped get Pitt’s deficit all the way down to 10, 50-40, however West Virginia answered with baskets by Brenen Lorient, Obioha and a 3 by Huff.

After that, it turned a free throw capturing contest due to technical fouls referred to as on Indrusaitis, Corhen and Capel. That’s solely partly why West Virginia had a 21 to six benefit on the free throw line. The different purpose was the Panthers settling for soar photographs whereas the Mountaineers had been getting the ball inside to Obioha, Thomas and Lorient.

West Virginia outscored Pitt 32 to twenty within the paint, 24 of these approaching layups. The Mountaineers had been profitable on 32 of their 64 possessions whereas the Panthers might solely handle baskets on 22 of their 61 possessions.

Corhen led Pitt with 12 factors and 10 rebounds. Omari Witherspoon added 11 whereas Cummings, Pitt’s main scorer, completed with simply 7 on 3 of 13 capturing. 

Floyd’s stat line included seven assists, 5 rebounds and three steals for the Mountaineers.

“Jasper was just Jasper – so solid and we trusted him all game long,” Hodge mentioned.

Obioha led West Virginia with six rebounds whereas connecting on 8 of his 9 subject objective makes an attempt.

“I thought Harlan really anchored us and that’s what I really love about this team – the beauty of being on a team,” Hodge defined. “B-Lo (Lorient) was incredible on Sunday but got into a little foul trouble and you have to play the whole first half without him and guys stepped up across the board.”

WVU had a 34 to 31 edge on the glass general.

“I’ve had teams before when you get that first really big crowd it can weirdly go the other way and you play outside of character, but I thought our guys stayed in character,” Hodge mentioned.

Since the resumption of the collection on an annual foundation in 2017, the profitable crew has had a double-figure profitable margins in all however one recreation. 

West Virginia received the 2017 recreation in Pittsburgh by 9 after which by margins of 10 in 2018, by 15 in 2019, by 15 in 2020, by 25 in 2022 and by 21 tonight.

Pitt received the prior two video games by 17 factors two years in the past and by 24 final 12 months.

Overall, West Virginia owns a 102-90 benefit in all-time play.

The Mountaineers conclude their five-game homestand to start the season on Monday, Nov. 17 in opposition to Lafayette in a recreation that shall be televised on ESPN+.

That would be the last recreation senior Chance Moore should sit out to fulfill NCAA switch necessities. Senior ahead Jackson Fields can also be getting nearer to being able to go for the Mountaineers after coping with a preseason hand damage.