Can the Mountaineers pick up their first conference win? Who knows. Some notes as we go....
- Well, looks like we're going to the Mountie game late. Pitt/Providence is winding down. Let's go Friars!
- Not gonna happen... the Panthers outlast the Friars... and we're off to the Mountaineer game.
- ...and here we are. The 'Eers are up 12-4, and that wondrous internet tells me Casey Mitchell has 8 of the Mountaineers 10. I only missed the first segment of the game... but still. Can't have that. Sucks being the late game.
- The first play I see... Joe Mazzulla jacks up a quick three. Really, Joe? After I said all those nice things about how you run good offensive sets.
- Kevin Jones gets a nice bucket down low, and follows it on the next possession with a weak miss. Go hard young man! If Jones can get more physical inside this team could really push people around. Right now, they're the ones getting pushed.
- The lead is cut to 3. The Mountaineers are playing out of control. A couple of lazy passes lead to a couple of lost possessions.
- Jones looks more assertive on offense following a big dunk with a decisive jumper. He's hit three of four right now, and things are looking good.
- The Mountaineers haven't slipped into the 2-3 so far tonight, but holding the Blue Demons under 30% shooting at the moment, there doesn't seem to be much reason too.
- DePaul wants to make WVU play fast. At the points today that they've been able to do that, it's worked. They're going to keep trying. When the game turns to slop, it doesn't bode well for the Mountaineers at all.
- The Demons go on a 9-2 run to cut the lead to one. Huggs goes with the 2-3, but they shoot over it. Luckily, Deniz Kilicli has decided to start scoring again and the Mountaineers hold a narrow lead going into the last television timeout of the half.
- If the key to the Mountaineers' scoring is Truck, tonight doesn't bode well. Truck has 5 misses already. The rest of the team is shooting 13-20. Truck's pulling down the curve.
- It's the half, and the Mountaineers lead by 3, 34-31. Some good moments this half, such as Kevin Jones and Deniz Kilicli both being 4-5 from the field and generally looking, well, capable. Casey Mitchell's 13 lead the way and balance out Truck's goose egg. If the Mountaineers can keep from being pushed into an up and down game, they should win this one.