A game in which West Virginia shot 37.3 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from beyond the arc, while turning the ball over 19 times, the Mountaineers found a way to win, beating Texas Tech 76-61, while breaking a 701-day road Big 12 losing streak.
“That’s a great team win,” West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins said on the radio postgame.
Within the first 5:09 on Wednesday night, West Virginia (12-8, 2-6 Big 12) looked like they did not even show up to United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. The Mountaineers called a timeout after they turned the ball over five times and missed six of their first seven shots, while Texas Tech (10-10, 0-8 Big 12) held a 10-2 lead.
“We obviously didn’t start out very well,” Huggins said.
The message would be sent to the entire team from Huggins, as he replaced all five starters at the timeout. One of those substitutions was Seth Wilson, as West Virginia turned to him along with their defense to get back into the game.
“Our starters just didn’t have any pop to them,” Huggins said. “They’re the guys that have played the majority of minutes up until now and they were dragging a little bit.”
Texas Tech would make only three shots over the next 7:05, while Wilson made a pair of three-pointers, to get West Virginia within three points with 9:03 to play in the first half. Tech’s Kerwin Walton would make a three-pointer with 7:46 to play and gave the momentum back to the home team.
Joe Toussaint responded with a three-pointer of his own, before Walton would be called for a personal foul as well as a technical foul for slamming the ball on the court. Erik Stevenson stepped to the line for West Virginia, making four free throws and giving West Virginia a 22-21 lead after they looked dead in the water to start.
The Mountaineers turned to the interior players late in the first half, going on a 5-0 run to close the half, with Jimmy Bell and Mohamed Wague combining to make three free throws, before Tre Mitchell connected on a three-pointer to put the Mountaineers in front 33-28 heading into the break.
To open the second half, the tone of the game would change, with there being a combined 10 fouls called before the first media timeout. One of those fouls was on Texas Tech head coach Mark Adams, after a foul was called which was already sending Stevenson to the free throw line. Yet again, Stevenson made all four free throws, putting the Mountaineers ahead by seven.
The Red Raiders would score the next six points to cut West Virginia’s lead to just one. Wilson would answer right back though with a three-pointer in transition, stretching West Virginia’s lead to four.
The Red Riders would again cut it to one, as Wilson stepped up for the Mountaineers again. Wilson hit a three-pointer which put West Virginia ahead by five with 10:45 to play. 20 seconds later, Kevin Obanor responded with a three-pointer of his own, before Stevenson was able to hit from beyond the arc. Wilson would then grab an offensive rebound on the next possession, before finding James Okonwo who finished the layup, drew the foul, and completed the three-point-play.
The play put the Mountaineers ahead 55-47, as they would never let Texas Tech get any closer.
Later in the half with just over six minutes to play, Texas Tech was desperately trying to get back in the game. With West Virginia leading by nine, the Red Raiders looked to have what would be an easy dunk, but Okonkwo would block the Daniel Batcho dunk attempt. Toussaint made two of his 12 free throws on the offensive end, as the Mountaineers cruised to their second Big 12 victory the rest of the way.
“I have said and said and said that James is really, really, talented,” Huggins said. “He’s a guy who outgrew tennis. He’s got all kind of potential, it’s just a matter of us continuing to work with him.”
Okonkwo finished with five points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Wilson added a career-high 15 points, with all his points coming on three-point shots.
Stevenson recorded a double-double, scoring 16 points, and grabbing 10 rebounds. Despite scoring 16, Stevenson struggled again from the field, going 3 for 12, and only 1 for 7 from three. Stevenson went 9 for 11 at the free throw line and added four assists as well.
West Virginia found great success on the glass tonight, securing 44 rebounds, compared to Tech’s 27. West Virginia’s bench had 50 points, while the Mountaineers added 15 second chance points.
Out of those 50 bench points, 37 came from Wilson’s 15 along with Toussaint’s career-high 22 points.
“We got great help from our bench,” Huggins said. “I thought our bench was really good.”
West Virginia’s defense forced 13 Texas Tech turnovers, leading to 10 points for West Virginia. The Mountaineers finished the night going 10 for 35 from three-point range, while converting on 28 of their 35 free throw attempts.
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