Just a day after getting ranked for the first time since the 2022-2023 season, No. 21 West Virginia fell to Arizona 75-56.
The Mountaineers defeated Arizona earlier this season in a nonconference game during the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. The Wildcats avenged their loss, putting a kink in WVU’s momentum after a good week.
Shooting
The most obvious downfall of West Virginia was their ability to knock down shots on Tuesday. The Mountaineers shot 36.2% from the field and 27.6% from three. While Arizona didn’t shoot the lights out, they were still more successful offensively, shooting over 50% from the field.
Bench Points/Depth
A recurring problem for WVU has been depth. Still without Tucker DeVries and Jayden Stone, West Virginia was working with a short bench. 45% (36) of Arizona’s points came from their bench, while WVU got just 10 points from their bench. As The Mountaineers progress in Big 12 play, obtaining effective scoring from their bench/role players will be crucial.
Dominating the Paint
Arizona worked the paint against West Virginia, which played a huge role in the outcome. First, they out-rebounded West Virginia 40-31. Arizona had 10 offensive rebounds, leading to nine second-chance points. Secondly, Arizona had 36 points in the paint, scoring more points off layups and dunks compared to West Virginia.
