2024-03-03 02:34:52
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Having trailed by double digits at halftime each of its last two games, including by 22 points in its most recent contest, West Virginia put an added emphasis on getting off to a solid start Saturday when welcoming Texas Tech to the WVU Coliseum.
The Mountaineers did just that and began the game with strong play on both ends of the court to build a 20-4 advantage.
Ultimately, it proved inconsequential.
From that point forward, the Red Raiders largely did what they aspired to, and overcame a 2 for 14 start from the field to shoot nearly 48 percent, while dominating the second half in an 81-70 victory.
“We made some really tough shots early. I wouldn’t say they were good, clean looks, and sometimes it’s a little bit fool’s gold when you make tough shots early,” WVU interim head coach Josh Eilert said. “So you kind of get a false confidence, so to speak. You worry regarding that as a coach when hard shots are falling early and you get a lead, maybe you get a little bit comfortable. But, they battled back, and burned through every timeout early trying to shut those runs down.
“We just mightn’t get into a groove defensively. We certainly struggled with that ball screen and trying to weaken at the top. So, they were getting a lot of really good looks out of it but credit to them, they knocked them down.”
Texas Tech (20-9, 9-7) never led until a Chance McMillian three-pointer less than 5 minutes into the second half put the Red Raiders in front 52-50.
The Mountaineers fell behind by five moments later when former WVU guard Joe Toussaint converted a layup to leave the visitors with a 56-51 advantage, but WVU answered back with six straight points and took what proved to be its last lead on a Jesse Edwards layup.
Ten seconds later, Texas Tech guard Pop Issacs made a triple, and the Red Raiders were in front to stay save for separate ties at 61 and 63, the latter of which came on an Edwards’ dunk with 7:46 remaining.
That was countered by a McMillian trey, and the Red Raiders ran off six straight points not long following to hold their largest lead to that point at 74-66 following a Darrion Williams jump shot.
Williams and McMilian added triples over a 33-second stretch to make it 80-68 and put any thought of a late rally to rest.
“A few were wide open, which is a broken defensive play on our end,” said WVU wing RaeQuan Battle. “It’s being awake the entire possession and not letting them get open, but they hit them.”
Tech made 16-of-28 shots following halftime, including 7 of 15 from long range. McMillian provided the Red Raiders with 13 of their 17 second-half bench points.
“I knew Chance McMillian was capable of going off like that,” Eilert said, ”and it seemed like every time he let one go, it was going in.”
West Virginia (9-20, 4-12) made 7-of-11 shots to start the game, while the Red Raiders missed 12 of their first attempts, during which time the Mountaineers built a 16-point advantage in fewer than 8 minutes.
But starting with Toussaint’s conventional three-point play 11:50 before halftime, Tech found its stride on both ends of the floor, though its deficit was still 13 following a Kobe Johnson triple left WVU leading 27-14.
The Red Raiders scored 13 of the next 15 points and pulled to within two on Toussaint’s layup off a Mountaineer turnover.
“Our team fought even though we got down 20-4,” first-year Red Raiders’ head coach Grant McCasland said. “Speaks to our character and the guys on our roster.”
West Virginia responded and regained a double-digit lead at 41-30 following making four threes in a span of five trips — two of which Battle accounted for and the others from Quinn Slazinski and Kerr Kriisa.
However, the visitors closed the first half on a 9-4 spurt over the final 2:28 and used a pair of Toussaint field goals in the final 1:26 to pull to within 45-39 at halftime.
The Red Raiders scored eight straight points early in the second half to draw even at 47 and hardly looked back en route to their third road win this season.
“We usually let our offense dictate our defense and today I wasn’t going to let that happen or stand for it,” Toussaint said. “I got in a couple guys’ faces at halftime and it was me included. I held myself accountable.”
Toussaint led all players with 21 points in his return to Morgantown. He originally intended to stay at West Virginia but moved on to Lubbock following Eilert replaced former head coach Bob Huggins over the summer.
“It was just another game on the east coast. I was happy my family came to see me,” said Toussaint, a native of The Bronx, N.Y. “All respect to the coaches and the guys on that side.”
“I wish he was still here playing with the old Gold and Blue,” Eilert said.
McMillian scored 19 and made a game-high five threes.
Williams added 17 to go with a game-best nine rebounds and Isaacs scored 10.
“They’re a really balanced team. They compete. Joe came in here and did his thing,” Eilert said. “They were the better team tonight.”
Edwards led WVU with 18 points and eight rebounds and Battle scored 15, though only four came following halftime. Kriisa and Johnson accounted for 10 and eight points, respectively, though neither scored in the second half.
The Red Raiders made 13 threes, including 7 of 15 following halftime. The Mountaineers finished 9 of 22 from beyond the arc, but made only 1-of-9 second-half attempts.
“They had some open looks, but they were really deep,” McCasland said. “Our ability to make it difficult for the ball to go in and to guard the three-point line was a big deal.”
(WVU postgame press conference)
(Texas Tech postgame press conference)
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