Mountaineers Rally to Accumulate First Big 12 Win For Ross Hodge

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia rallied from 5 factors down with 4:46 left to defeat Cincinnati 62-60 at Hope Coliseum Tuesday night time in Big 12 Conference males’s basketball motion.

The Bearcats (8-7, 0-2) took a 57-52 lead on Moustapha Thiam’s dunk, capping an 11-0 Cincinnati run that had flipped West Virginia’s 52-49 lead.

But Honor Huff answered with a 3 with 2:13 remaining, after which Treyson Eaglestaff hit the most important 3 of the sport with 1:12 to go and the shot clock winding down. The senior put up a prayer that was answered from in entrance of West Virginia’s bench to present the Mountaineers a 58-57 lead.

After a 30-second timeout referred to as by the Bearcats, Cincinnati huge Baba Miller took an ill-advised 3 that was rebounded by Huff.

WVU used a timeout after which ran the clock all the way down to 19 seconds remaining earlier than Jizzle James lastly fouled Huff, who made each free throws to place West Virginia up three, 60-57.

At the opposite finish, Day Day Thomas’ missed 3 was rebounded by Eaglestaff, who was fouled by Jean Celestine earlier than he may move the ball down the ground to an open teammate for a game-clinching dunk. 

Eaglestaff hit each free throws to present WVU a two-possession lead, 62-57. 

The Mountaineers have been in a position to burn treasured day off the clock on the defensive finish of the ground through the use of their fouls earlier than James received a 3 to go down with three seconds left. After the primary baseline inbounds move was almost stolen, requiring Hodge to make use of one other timeout, the subsequent inbounds move by Jasper Floyd was picked off by James, who had a clear take a look at a game-winning 3, however his shot caromed off the glass to finish the sport.

“I can’t say it was a thing of beauty,” Ross Hodge mentioned of his first Big 12 victory as West Virginia’s coach. “But the one thing I will say, when they made that run and we were in the huddle, there was a look there that thought we could still win the game.

“That’s what you’re type of in search of in these moments,” he said. “Obviously we have been in these conditions a few occasions already this season once you lead and lead and lead and on the finish you simply cannot determine a solution to make the play that that you must.”

West Virginia (10-5, 1-1) began the game leading 19-6 before Cincinnati got back into it by retrieving its missed shots. The Bearcats finished the game with 10 offensive rebounds, which helped offset their 40 missed field goals on 62 attempts, as did their 18 points off of West Virginia’s 15 turnovers.

Honor Huff, the smallest player on the floor, scored a game-high 24 points and also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds, including a couple of key ones late.

Huff was 6 of 10 from 3-point distance and also hit two critical free throws with 19 seconds left.

“He actually received us off to an amazing begin and he spoils you to the purpose the place when he misses one you’re like, ‘Dang, what are you doing? You are speculated to make every part you shoot,'” Hodge said. “I feel the good second for him was getting eight rebounds from the littlest man on the ground.”

Chance Moore came off the bench to score 14 and Eaglestaff contributed 10.

Celestine was the only Bearcat player to reach double figures with 15.

“We have been in a position to get stops down the stretch to construct that lead, after which we have been in a position to get stops when it mattered most,” Hodge said. “I feel it was a personality win and it speaks to who the place are as folks.”

WVU was 11 of 23 from 3-point vary, in comparison with 12 of 35 for Cincinnati, whereas each groups struggled from the free throw line. The Bearcats missed 5 of their 9 makes an attempt whereas the Mountaineers have been unsuccessful on six of their 13 charities.

West Virginia stays in Morgantown to face 22^nd-ranked Kansas on Saturday afternoon at midday. The recreation will likely be televised nationally on FOX.