WVU basketball: without Taz Sherman Mountaineers fall once again

Saturday afternoon, WVU basketball took on No. 14 Texas Tech in another thrilling Big 12 match-up. Without star guard Taz Sherman, the Mountaineers had their work cut out for them. Despite putting up a valiant effort, West Virginia could not overcome the high-flying Red Raiders, extending their losing streak to seven in a row.

Mountaineers allow first half lead to slip away against No. 14 TTU

After one half of basketball, the Mountaineers seemed to be in a good spot. They led the Red Raiders by six points with a 32-26 lead. The Mountaineers were putting up an excellent fight even without star guard Taz Sherman.

Even with the lead, West Virginia remained relentless in the second half in an attempt to put away the Red Raiders. This attempt fell short as Texas Tech slowly mounted its comeback.

Shooting troubles

With TTU on the rise, the Mountaineers began to look like the same team they have been all season long: uncoordinated and almost useless on offense.

Though West Virginia managed to loft up 86 shots against Texas Tech, they only connected on 21 of those. The Mountaineers shot 24.2 percent from the field and 25 percent from beyond the ark. West Virginia was also given numerous opportunities at the free-throw line, picking up 17 of their 21 free throws.

Surprising to no one, poor shooting would lead to the implosion of West Virginia basketball.

More rebounding issues

Once again, the Mountaineers were outrebounded by their opponent. At the half, West Virginia led in rebounds; however, at the end of the game, TTU led the rebounding battle 46-40.

One of the Mountaineers’ biggest struggles this season has been rebounding the ball, and fans can expect more of the same results until WVU manages to rebound the ball better.

Moving forward

As of right now, the Mountaineers’ chances of playing basketball in March continue to dwindle. With a record of 13-9 (2-7 Big 12), West Virginia sits in last place in the Big 12 conference and is heading into another game against a ranked opponent.

It seems as if nothing has gone right for the Mountaineers this season. Following a 13-2 start, WVU basketball has now lost seven straight and is out of the NCAA tournament if the season ended today. Luckily for Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers, the season does not end today.

West Virginia has a chance to get back on track next Tuesday against No. 20 Iowa State, again playing at home in the Colosseum.