–West Virginia came out of this one firing and really never let up, leaving little doubt as the Mountaineers led by almost 30-points early in the second half. West Virginia absolutely dominated this game and hit on all cylinders snapping a seven-game losing streak to Oklahoma in the process and recording a major ‘must win’ at home. There’s been a lot of frustration at times and this 93-61 win was just what the doctor ordered. The season series between the two is now split and at 14-9 the Mountaineers are very much in a good spot when it comes to being safely in the NCAA Tournament field but the work is clearly not done. This team is going to have to find a way to win four more games to feel safe about their slot but we’ll get to that later. In a season that’s had some real frustration, this game was finally things hitting right for West Virginia in so many ways.
–The 93 points that West Virginia scored 97 points against Texas in January of 2020.
–West Virginia just casually led 56-30 at halftime while shooting 55-percent from the floor (18-33) and 58-percent (7-12) from three. The Mountaineers were at a ridiculous 1.556 points per possession and were able to take complete control at the half. That’s the most points for West Virginia in the first half this season and the most in a first half in a Big 12 game since the program scored 54 against Iowa State in a 90-75 win in 2019.
–West Virginia got a white hot start from guard Erik Stevenson making his first three shots to give the Mountaineers an early 10-2 lead and netting 11-overall points before the first media timeout. Things would continue from there, as Stevenson would enter the break with 23 points and hit 9-14 from the floor including 5-8 from three. He was unconscious at times and when he’s hitting shots like that this team is really, really hard to beat. It only continued into the early portions of the second half as he hit maybe one of the toughest shots I’ve ever seen with the shot clock expiring. This was just his night and the box score shows it finishing with 34 points. That’s the most since Jaysean Paige had 34 against Iowa State in 2016. Stevenson is the first WVU player to score 30-points in two games since Miles McBride and the first to score 31 or more twice since Eron Harris. That’s joining some quality scorers.
–It certainly wasn’t a perfect effort on the defensive end, but it was a hell of a lot better than whatever that was at TCU Tuesday night. The Mountaineers held Oklahoma to 37-percent from the floor and were able to keep them from getting to the rim over and over. Even when they were beaten, West Virginia was excellent in their recovery and challenging shots. The Sooners were 11-25 on layups in this one and the Mountaineers had 9 blocks. The Mountaineers had 11 steals and also scored 24 points off Oklahoma turnovers.
–Foul trouble played a role, but Tanner Groves was a non-factor in this game. He scored only 2 points on 0-2 shooting and he had more turnovers (2) and rebounds.
–James Okonkwo continues to get better every game. He plays hard and is starting to get more comfortable with his role and what is being asked of him. He plays like he’s shot out of a cannon on both ends and while he’s clearly still putting it all together is an asset on the glass and on the defensive end. He runs the floor and is more skilled than you’d imagine. You love to see how hard he hustles when it comes to put back dunks and blocks. He had 10 points and 10 rebounds in this game and another highlight block. It was fittingly the first double-double of his career with the Mountaineers.
–After a disappearing act on the road at TCU, senior guard Kedrian Johnsnon was very good in this one. He scored 16 points, made all eight of his free throws and created issues on the defensive end. Now, he did turn the ball over a few times but looked much more like the player that has played much of the year instead of the other night. Johnson was +39.
–West Virginia still didn’t get much from Emmitt Matthews as he scored 2 points and was 1-6 from the floor in his 20-minutes. He was at 0 in terms of +/-/ Tre Mitchell also was quiet in this one with 4 points in 14 minutes, but fortunately the Mountaineers didn’t need them.
–Joe Toussaint has an impact even when he isn’t necessarily shooting the ball well. He is active on defense and really takes control with his confidence. His experience has been key for this team throughout the year and you’ll take his efforts nightly.
–Seth Wilson at times gets a little too trigger happy, but I thought he was excellent in this game when he was on the floor. Wilson took controlled shots within the offense and continues to show that he is a valuable piece for this team off the bench when it comes to scoring the basketball.
–Mohamed Wague was very active in this one, especially on the defensive end with 3 blocks. Wague also was able to keep balls alive and was active on the glass. At times he’s seemed a little hesitant but tonight he really was in this one from the jump. You love the way that he runs the floor and it’s nice to see his teammates find him. He was +31.
–Next up is an Iowa State team that just came off a convincing win over Kansas. The Mountaineers need to find four wins to really feel pretty good about where they sit heading into the Big 12 Conference tournament which would put them at 7-11 in the league. Obviously, if you can find more you would hope for that outcome to leave zero doubt. Still, given the metrics this team has at 14-9 it could be a lot worse right now. If West Virginia can find a way to bottle this shooting moving forward and the effort on defense, perhaps it isn’t silly to think that this West Virginia team can make a run?
–The 93 points that West Virginia scored 97 points against Texas in January of 2020.
–West Virginia just casually led 56-30 at halftime while shooting 55-percent from the floor (18-33) and 58-percent (7-12) from three. The Mountaineers were at a ridiculous 1.556 points per possession and were able to take complete control at the half. That’s the most points for West Virginia in the first half this season and the most in a first half in a Big 12 game since the program scored 54 against Iowa State in a 90-75 win in 2019.
–West Virginia got a white hot start from guard Erik Stevenson making his first three shots to give the Mountaineers an early 10-2 lead and netting 11-overall points before the first media timeout. Things would continue from there, as Stevenson would enter the break with 23 points and hit 9-14 from the floor including 5-8 from three. He was unconscious at times and when he’s hitting shots like that this team is really, really hard to beat. It only continued into the early portions of the second half as he hit maybe one of the toughest shots I’ve ever seen with the shot clock expiring. This was just his night and the box score shows it finishing with 34 points. That’s the most since Jaysean Paige had 34 against Iowa State in 2016. Stevenson is the first WVU player to score 30-points in two games since Miles McBride and the first to score 31 or more twice since Eron Harris. That’s joining some quality scorers.
–It certainly wasn’t a perfect effort on the defensive end, but it was a hell of a lot better than whatever that was at TCU Tuesday night. The Mountaineers held Oklahoma to 37-percent from the floor and were able to keep them from getting to the rim over and over. Even when they were beaten, West Virginia was excellent in their recovery and challenging shots. The Sooners were 11-25 on layups in this one and the Mountaineers had 9 blocks. The Mountaineers had 11 steals and also scored 24 points off Oklahoma turnovers.
–Foul trouble played a role, but Tanner Groves was a non-factor in this game. He scored only 2 points on 0-2 shooting and he had more turnovers (2) and rebounds.
–James Okonkwo continues to get better every game. He plays hard and is starting to get more comfortable with his role and what is being asked of him. He plays like he’s shot out of a cannon on both ends and while he’s clearly still putting it all together is an asset on the glass and on the defensive end. He runs the floor and is more skilled than you’d imagine. You love to see how hard he hustles when it comes to put back dunks and blocks. He had 10 points and 10 rebounds in this game and another highlight block. It was fittingly the first double-double of his career with the Mountaineers.
–After a disappearing act on the road at TCU, senior guard Kedrian Johnsnon was very good in this one. He scored 16 points, made all eight of his free throws and created issues on the defensive end. Now, he did turn the ball over a few times but looked much more like the player that has played much of the year instead of the other night. Johnson was +39.
–West Virginia still didn’t get much from Emmitt Matthews as he scored 2 points and was 1-6 from the floor in his 20-minutes. He was at 0 in terms of +/-/ Tre Mitchell also was quiet in this one with 4 points in 14 minutes, but fortunately the Mountaineers didn’t need them.
–Joe Toussaint has an impact even when he isn’t necessarily shooting the ball well. He is active on defense and really takes control with his confidence. His experience has been key for this team throughout the year and you’ll take his efforts nightly.
–Seth Wilson at times gets a little too trigger happy, but I thought he was excellent in this game when he was on the floor. Wilson took controlled shots within the offense and continues to show that he is a valuable piece for this team off the bench when it comes to scoring the basketball.
–Mohamed Wague was very active in this one, especially on the defensive end with 3 blocks. Wague also was able to keep balls alive and was active on the glass. At times he’s seemed a little hesitant but tonight he really was in this one from the jump. You love the way that he runs the floor and it’s nice to see his teammates find him. He was +31.
–Next up is an Iowa State team that just came off a convincing win over Kansas. The Mountaineers need to find four wins to really feel pretty good about where they sit heading into the Big 12 Conference tournament which would put them at 7-11 in the league. Obviously, if you can find more you would hope for that outcome to leave zero doubt. Still, given the metrics this team has at 14-9 it could be a lot worse right now. If West Virginia can find a way to bottle this shooting moving forward and the effort on defense, perhaps it isn’t silly to think that this West Virginia team can make a run?
