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Mountaineers Face Murray State for First Time

Tip-off slated for 4 p.m. in San Diego

MORGANTOWN – When you have played basketball for as many years as No. 15 West Virginia University has, it’s rare that fans witness a matchup between their beloved Mountaineers and an opponent for the very first time.

But, that will be the case when WVU (24-10) takes on Murray State (26-5) in an NCAA second round game at 4 p.m. today at the Viejas Arena in San Diego, California.

“They’ve got great size and they really shoot the ball,” veteran head coach Bob Huggins said during Monday’s Big 12 Teleconference. ‘Their bigs can step out and make shots and their guards can rebound.”

The Racers, who finished 16-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference this season, have won 13 games in a row for head coach Matt McMahon, who is 59-36 in his third season as the head coach.

“I think, when our guys watch the film, they will see how good they are,” added Huggins, who is taking the Old Gold and Blue into ‘March Madness’ for the ninth time in 11 years at his alma mater.

WVU has faced members from the Ohio Valley Conference in the past, posting a 6-1 mark against current members – Eastern Kentucky (2-1), Morehead State (3-0), and Tennessee Tech (1-0).

But, this Murray State may provide a tougher test than fans expect.

“Well, that kind of depends on how good the freshman is,” Huggins responded when asked about the Racers’ Ja Morant, who is averaging 12.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. “He’s good. He’s really, really good.”

Morant is one of three players averaging double figures for Murray State. Senior Jonathan Stark leads the way with a 21.8-points per game norm while fellow senior Terrell Miller Jr. posts a team-leading 8.3 rebounds per game while chipping in 14.7 points.

Juniors Shaq Buchanan, who averages 9.2 points, and Brion Sanchious (3.0) round out the Racers’ expected starting five.

West Virginia, which will look to make another run to the Sweet 16 with a pair of wins over the weekend, will counter with seniors Jevon Carter (17.0 ppg) and Daxter Miles Jr. (13.0) at the guards with junior Esa Ahmad (10.1) and sophomores Wesley Harris (5.6) and Sagaba Konate (10.8) at the forwards.

Konate, who is third in the country in blocked shots (3.3 per game), will test the MSU front line while sophomores Lamont West (9.5) and James ‘Beetle’ Bolden (8.9) will provide some instant offense in a contest which, on paper, appears to be one where a lot of points will be scored by both teams.

“You look at how they get what they get,” Huggins said. “They are a very good free-throw shooting team. They shoot 72 percent from the line. They are shooting 49 percent from the field, which is pretty good.”

Numbers comparable to another non-Power 5 Conference foe WVU faced in a first round game and lost to – Stephen F. Austin.

“We talked about not being ready,” continued WVU’s head man. “With JC and Dax I don’t think we will have the issue that we had.

“These are the most watched games of the year. Any time you win in the NCAA tournament, it’s big for your team and your league.”

A victory over Murray State will propel the Old Gold and Blue into Sunday’s Round of 32 where it will face the winner of Friday’s first contest between Wichita State and Marshall.

A victory by the Thundering Herd, who won the Conference USA tournament and earned an automatic bid to the post season for the first time in 31 years, would set up a defacto “Friends of Coal” rematch between the Mountain State’s two Division I programs – an event which has not happened since the 2015-16 campaign.

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