WVU basketball needed to get back on track after a tough road loss earlier this week against No. 7 Houston, and were presented with the perfect opportunity to do so as they welcomed Colorado into the Hope Coliseum. In the end, the Mountaineers walked away with a 72-61 victory. Here are our initial takeaways from the win.
Don't mess with the Mountaineers in Morgantown
This summer, West Virginia's homecourt was renamed the Hope Coliseum, and while it was just a naming rights deal with a gas company that brought the change about, the name feels appropriate this season. That's because WVU's performance on their homecourt has certainly inspired hope. With the win on Saturday, the Mountaineers moved to a perfect 12-0 on the season at home, and extends their home winning streak to 15 games, dating back to last season.
In a league like the Big 12, where wins can be difficult to come by on any given night and doubly so on the road, it's important to defend your court and establish an environment where you feel comfortable playing any opponent. The Mountaineers continue to do so, and all those home court wins will start to add up before long.
Treysen Eaglestaff shows up in a massive way
It's not the first game Eaglestaff has had this season where he stepped up as the team's primary engine on the offensive end of the floor, but it felt a bit different on Saturday. He was more efficient and more confident than he has appeared all year, even in those games where he's hit double-digit scoring totals.
Eaglestaff finished Saturday's game with 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting while adding sx rebounds and three assists. This was Eaglestaff as advertised, and it makes the Mountaineers much more dangerous when he lives up to the hype.
A roller coaster ride of the game
WVU led by as many as 12 points in the first half, and carried a seven-point lead into halftime, but the Buffaloes rallied to storm back and take the lead with by one point just over 13 minutes to play in the game.
However, the Mountaineers were able to regroup and get back to business, so to speak, and reeled off a 13-3 run over the next four minutes to reestablish their grasp on the game. From their, the Buffaloes gave it their best effort, but they were unable to close the gap a second time and get things done.
The collapse that led to the Colorado comeback was worrisome, and West Virginia fans were likely having flashbacks to several blown leads by the Mountaineers earlier this season which ended in losses. But what was more encouraging was the response to that rally by the Buffs.
WVU kept their composure, understood they were the better team, and executed in every way they needed to get back in front and hold onto the win. That's what successful teams do when faced with adversity, and after seeing the Mountaineers fail to do that when challenged so often in non-conference play, every such occasion they pull it off in Big 12 play feels like a win inside of a win.