The Mountaineers’ rivalry against Pittsburgh has burned fierce in several sports for several decades, but
in the realm of men’s basketball, WVU’s recent history makes that easy to forget.
With 103 wins, West Virginia leads the series against the Panthers, and it shows no signs of stopping.
With a six-game win streak since the teams’ final conference game in 2012, WVU’s 25-game margin has
only grown in recent years.
Wednesday night, the Panthers will travel to Morgantown perhaps expecting to change that, as they do
enter the game with a 5-3 record while WVU stands at 3-4, but history is certainly stacked against
Pittsburgh.
Despite the discrepancy within the series, though, West Virginia and Pittsburgh have put on plenty of
great shows on the court.
In just under 120 years, WVU and Pitt have played 191 games, including eight with an overtime period,
14 ending in a one-point margin, and 26 where a team scored 90 or more points.
Like their Backyard Brawl in football, West Virginia and Pitt’s extensive men’s basketball history features
highs and lows for both teams and fanbases. As the newest series edition approaches, this is just a taste
of what that history has to offer for the Mountaineers.
1955-1962: West Virginia issues longest streak in otherwise back-and-forth series
WVU’s current streak of six wins over Pitt stands as its fourth longest in series history. In third is the
eight-game streak from 1945 to 1949, which is just behind the nine-game streak from 1964 to 1968.
Long ahead, though, is the Mountaineers’ remarkable 13 straight wins between 1957 and 1963.
The streak came in the heat of increased scoring in college basketball. On Feb. 23, 1957, for the second
win of the run, WVU scored its first 100-point game against Pitt, winning 107-93. The Mountaineers
scored 90 points or more three other times in the run, and each took place in a different season.
Through the 1960 season, legendary Mountaineer point guard and inspiration for the NBA logo, Jerry
West, led the Mountaineers past the Panthers. With West was head coach and former player Fred
Schaus, who coached WVU from 1954 through 1960. Schaus followed his star point guard to the NBA
after he graduated and coached the Los Angeles Lakers to five conference titles before transitioning to
an executive role.
The 1957-1958 team, which tallied two wins over Pitt, finished No. 1 in the NCAA rankings. Throughout
West’s time with WVU, the Mountaineers never finished a season ranked lower than 10 th by the
Associated Press.
This long streak of high-scoring wins against WVU’s primary rival really helps to visualize the
Mountaineers’ dominance in this era. The team’s ability to keep the win streak alive after the departure
of West and Schaus proved the longstanding impact this era of success had on the winning basketball
history of West Virginia University.
Dec. 9, 1989: WVU wins only double-overtime game in series history
In the fourth game of what came to be an average season for both WVU and Pittsburgh, the rivalry was
on full display in Morgantown.
After trailing Pittsburgh 40-35 at halftime, the Mountaineers picked up the difference in the second half
to tie the game at 81 points at the end of regulation. The first overtime saw both teams score six points.
Pitt did the same in the following overtime period, but the Mountaineers stepped up their game to end
the battle, 97-93.
Two Panthers, Jason Matthews and Darelle Porter, played all 50 minutes of the double-overtime
contest. Forward Brian Shorter marked the third most minutes in the game, playing 45 minutes for
Pittsburgh. West Virginia, meanwhile, divvied the minutes up a bit better, though much of this was by
force.
Four Mountaineers fouled out in the game, with 6’6” starting forward Chris Brooks doing so in just 20
minutes. As such, juniors Shaun Jackson and Junior Robinson each played over 20 minutes in the game,
and, like Brooks, both fouled out.
Providing stability for WVU in the brawl were sophomore guard Tracy Shelton and senior guard Steve
Berger. Offensively, this backcourt served as West Virginia’s primary power source throughout the
game, as Berger scored 18 points and assisted 16 times in 45 minutes. Shelton took the scoring
responsibilities for the contest, shooting 12/24 from the field and 6/10 from three for 36 points in 41
minutes. He also grabbed four steals in the game.
All starters from either team scored in double digits, except 6’10” WVU center Thomas Kroger, who
played just three minutes after taking the tip for the Mountaineers. The Mountaineers’ victory was one
of 16 for the season. Pittsburgh, who entered the game ranked 22 nd , fell drastically after the loss to end
the season 12-17.
Nov. 12, 2021: Backyard Brawl packs WVU Coliseum with biggest crowd since pandemic
14,100 fans packed the stadium for the Backyard Brawl. The attendance was the most of the season in
the Coliseum. The Panthers entered the contest 0-1 after a loss to The Citadel. West Virginia, meanwhile, entered off a March Madness appearance the season prior, nearly 30 points from Taz Sherman in an exhibition game, and a home opener victory.
Needless to say, the Mountaineers won, 74-59.
Though the crowd might have been able to win the game on its own that evening, the players showed a
bit of energy, too. The team’s aggressive defense forced 32 turnovers from Pittsburgh, allowing WVU to
attempt 19 more shots in the game.
The Mountaineers shot their 59 attempts somewhat efficiently as well, finishing 30/59 from the field
and 9/22 from beyond the arc. The team did miss six of its 11 free throw attempts, but it did not change
the game’s result.
WVU led 36-24 at halftime and kept its distance in the second half for the win. Sophomore Jalen Bridges
led the team with 18 points, making four of six three-point attempts to go with six rebounds and five
blocks. Taz Sherman also performed well, scoring 17 points with five rebounds, two blocks, and two
steals.
