West Virginia’s trip to Pittsburgh proved fatal for its previously undefeated record, as the Panthers took down WVU 86-62.
The Mountaineers never had momentum in the loss, allowing an early 15-2 Pitt run to inflate the Panthers’ lead to 20 by the time seven minutes remained in the first.
Much of Pitt’s attack came from behind the arc, pushing the strong Panther lead throughout. Pittsburgh shot 6-for-15 from threes in the first half and 10-for-27 over the full game. 6-foot-5 guard Damian Dunn carried the load, making four of his seven three-point attempts en route to 23 points.
WVU shot poorly in comparison, going 6-for-29 from three. Jonathan Powell contributed four of the Mountaineers’ makes, going 4-for-10 from three and 6-for-12 from the field. The 6-foot-6 guard played 29 minutes off the bench and was WVU’s top scorer with 16.
West Virginia did live up to the expectation of aggression from the Brawl, despite the blowout loss. Sophomore forward Amani Hansberry put his mark on the game early, coming at 7-footer Guillermo Diaz Graham with an elbow in the game’s first minute.
Hansberry was charged with a flagrant foul on the play. He fouled out with two points, three rebounds, and an assist at the 10-minute mark in the second half.
Diaz Graham had two stitches done on his nose before returning to the game. Postgame, the center credited Hansberry’s foul for igniting his own aggressive play, which ended in 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Tucker DeVries joined Hansberry on the bench after fouling out in the second half as well. DeVries was almost a non-factor in comparison to his usual self, scoring just six points to go with three rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a steal made in his last defensive possession before leaving the game.
Shutting down DeVries was part of Pitt’s plan, head coach Jeff Capel said postgame. DeVries and Javon Small were the top targets for the Panthers on Friday, and Capel was satisfied with how the Panthers impacted their play.
“We did a really good job taking their two best guys out,” Capel said.
Small finished with 12 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals on 5-for-14 shooting from the field and 1-for-5 shooting from three.
As for WVU’s defense, coach DeVries admitted that he had the wrong idea, initially crowding the lanes and forcing Pitt to a vulnerable position for turnovers. Such choices allowed Pitt’s three-point barrage, DeVries says.
“We were wrong, and they made us pay,” DeVries said.
The Mountaineers will look to bounce back on Nov. 20 at home against Iona before going on the road for the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas one week later.
Photo by Korey Moore, Blue Gold Sports
