WVU basketball holds off Pitt in Backyard Brawl
The WVU basketball team never trailed against Pitt on Saturday and earned a 69-60 win in the first Backyard Brawl since 2012.
The Mountaineers have now won nine games in a row and Pitt has struggled this season with a record of 5-5 right now. The Backyard Brawl did not disappoint the more than 7,000 fans in attendance at the Petersen Events Center.
Many WVU basketball fans made the easy trip from Morgantown and the blue and clad fans were loud and proud all game long. As the WVU basketball team built an 18-point lead at halftime, confidence was high among the visitors.
However, in the second half, the Pitt Panthers stormed back and cut the lead to two points midway through the half. The Panthers were aided by a huge foul disparity. For the game, the Panthers had attempted more than 30 foul shots. West Virginia shot just nine in the second half.
By shooting and converting their foul shots, the Pitt team made it interesting and put the WVU basketball team on its heels. Whenever Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles were on the bench in foul trouble, the Panthers were able to get on a run.
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It’s no question that the Mountaineers’ senior leaders are imperative to this team’s success in the 2017-18 season. By Carter coming back this season and Miles stepping up on both ends of the court, they are setting a fine example for the many young players on this team.
Young guys like Sagaba Konate, Lamont West, James Bolden and Chase Harler already have a year under their belts in Bob Huggins’ system, but there is still so much to learn about how to be successful and close out close games. Miles and Carter have that killer instinct and they are leading by example to hopefully pass that on to the younger guys.
Four players scored in double figures for the Mountaineers, including Miles and Carter. With 19 points, Carter led all scorers. Miles chipped in with 15, West scored 13 and Bolden added 10. Only Ryan Luther reached double figures for Pitt by scoring 12 points.
West Virginia had trouble turning Pitt over, only forcing 15 turnovers. The WVU basketball team scored 15 points off turnovers but, in turn, the Panthers scored 14 points off nine West Virginia turnovers.
It wasn’t the prettiest game but the WVU basketball team got the job done. Even more special is the fact that the Backyard Brawl is in tact for at least another three years. This game needs to be played and it’s good that Huggins and Pitt head coach Kevin Stallings have a mutual respect for each other. They both agree that the Backyard Brawl is what makes college basketball so wonderful.
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The WVU basketball team now has an interesting challenge in front of itself. The Mountaineers are enjoying a week off and actually have a more extended break than that because their next game is an exhibition against Wheeling Jesuit on Saturday at the WVU Coliseum.