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WVU Looking for A Rebound at Wildcats

MORGANTOWN — Veteran West Virginia men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins had a simple, six-letter word for his No. 7 Mountaineers (15-3 overall, 4-2 Big 12) after they dropped their second overtime decision of the season, 89-87, to an unranked Oklahoma team on Wednesday at the Coliseum.

“E.F.F.O.R.T.,” the coach said. “I have no idea why they would have a lack of energy. They quit playing after two hours for two days. Shooting the ball shouldn’t take energy, should it?

“The truth of the matter is we haven’t run a ball down from behind since when? Which is what we were really good at. We haven’t made a steal below the foul line in how long?

“That’s effort. That’s not lack of energy, that’s lack of effort. They had the ‘lack of’ part right. They just didn’t have … they just substituted the word energy for effort.”

Now, the Mountaineers travel to Bramlage Coliseum on the campus of Kansas State University (14-4, 3-3 Big 12) in need of a victory heading into a showdown next Tuesday with No. 2, and defending Big 12 champion, Kansas in Morgantown. The Mountaineers needed a pair of overtimes to overcome the Wildcats a year ago on the road.

West Virginia led for just 9:31 during the contest that featured 29 lead changes and 19 ties, but it did not matter as the grit and depth of the Mountaineers proved to be too much for the Wildcats. Jaysean Paige came off the bench to score a career-high 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead WVU in both categories. Tarik Phillips (14) and Daxter Miles Jr. (10) joined Paige in double figures, but it was again the team’s shoddy free-throw shooting that forced the game into the extra periods as the visitors were just 10 of 18 from the line prior to overtime.

The preseason favorites to finish second again in the conference were able to correct that statistic in the extra frames, hitting 10 of 13, but it was also a primary reason for their second conference setback Wednesday.

“Oh, it plays a big part,” Huggins said. “Foul shooting played a part. The fact that we had people wide open played a part and we can’t pass the ball.

“Had a lot to do with it. (If we are) 18-for-29, we’re not going to win. Particularly when we went 10 for our first 11. So, we are seven for our last 18. How are you going to win?

“And, it’s demoralizing. I think the most demoralizing thing in basketball is for some guy to stand up there and miss two free throws. One out of two I think you can live with, but going 0-for-2 is demoralizing. I’d much rather they throw it away.”

Turnovers were a big problem for West Virginia the last time it was in Manhattan as KSU forced 10 first-half miscues while committing five of their own en route to a 34-33 lead at the halftime. ‘Press’ Virginia turned the tables on their hosts in the second half and overtime, forcing 10 turnovers by the Wildcats while committing five.

Mountaineer fans are hoping their favorite basketball team won’t have a repeat performance at 6 p.m. today tipoff that will be televised nationally on ESPN2. WVU leads the overall series by a 6-4 margin.

Huggins will more than likely go with his normal starting lineup which includes seniors Nathan Adrian (10.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and Brandon Watkins (7.4) as well as sophomore Esa Ahmad (11.7) at the forwards with juniors Jevon Carter (11.9) and Daxter Miles Jr. (10.2) at the guards.

However, there is no guarantee. Especially after OU’s Jason Woodard’s game-winning shot in Morgantown.

“We probably had the wrong guys in the game,” said Huggins about OU’s game-winning bucket. “I mean, how do you catch it go the length of the floor in five seconds?

“We are supposed to be the best pressing team in the country and we can’t funnel him one way or another?

“We had the wrong guys in the game. That won’t happen again.”

Senior Teyvon Myers and junior Elijah Macon came off of the bench to ignite a sluggish Mountaineer offense against the Sooners and could break into the starting five against the Wildcats, who will have seniors Wesley Iwundu (12.1 ppg) and D.J. Johnson (12.3) and sophomore Dean Wade (10.1) at the forwards with sophomores Kamau Stokes (11.3) and Barry Brown (12.7) at the guards.

The Wildcats are 10-1 at home this season, including a 2-1 mark in Big 12 home games.

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