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The West Virginia Mountaineers (3-1) host the Akron Zips (3-2) at WVU Coliseum on Monday evening, hoping to pick up their third straight victory. Bob Huggins' club has had six days off since dispatching the Morehead State Eagles, 83-48, in its last outing, so it ought to be well rested for Monday's matchup, just the fourth between the teams since 1905 and the first since 1980.
Against Morehead State, WVU coasted thanks to a dominant performance on the glass (it out-rebounded the Eagles by a 39-19 margin) and strong defense (limiting the Eagles to 38.3 percent shooting from the field). Kevin Jones continued his strong play for the Mountaineers, tallying 23 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks in just 30 minutes. Gary Browne added a well-rounded line of 10 points, six rebounds, and four assists off the bench.
Akron soundly defeated the Detroit Mercy Titans, 81-63, in its last outing behind 16 points from senior forward Nikola Cvetinovic. That easy win ended a two-game losing streak--by a combined eight points--for the Zips.
Tipoff for the Mountaineers' battle against the Zips is set for 7:00 PM on the Big East Network as well as ROOT Sports Pittsburgh.
For complete Mountaineers coverage, please visit The Smoking Musket, SB Nation's Mountaineers blog.