For the many WVU basketball fans who made the trek to Charleston, South Carolina for the Charleston Classic tournament that tipped off Friday, they left the TD Arena heartbroken after the Mountaineers' second-half collapse. WVU held an 11-point lead with around 11 minutes left in the second half, but ultimately fell to Clemson by a final score of 70-67. Here are some initial takeaways from the tough loss to the Tigers.
Chance Moore announces his presence
Starting with a positive, the St. Bonaventure transfer played in his first game for WVU on Friday night, and he put everyone on notice what he can bring to the table. The 6-foot-6 senior played more like a big man on Friday, but was a huge spark off the bench for Ross Hodge. From Brookhaven, Georgia, Moore finished the game with 16 points (second on the team behind only Honor Huff), five rebounds, two steals, and one assist. Including a half-court heave at the end of the first half. Moore shot 6-of-12 from the floor and 2-of-3 from behind the three-point line.
WVU defense has late-game collapse
WVU's second-half lead was holding strong before a defensive breakdown that allowed Carter Welling to single-handedly score nine straight points in the late stages of the second half. Making back-to-back three-pointers and then adding a lay-up before making a free-throw, Welling scored his ninth straight point for the Tigers around 30 seconds left in the game. When Welling sank his free throw, Clemson led 67-65, and that would be the reason the Tigers would hold on and notch a great second-half comeback. The Mountaineers gave up 45 total points in the second half, a fact which Hodge was blunt about after the game.
"Just a tale of two halves. Bottom line, we're not going to win many games when we give up 45 points in the second half," he told Mountaineer Sports Network.
Clemson's inside game dominated WVU
Outscoring WVU 32-22 in the paint, Clemson attacked the basket and it proved to be the reason why the Tigers walked away with the win against WVU. Led by R.J. Godfrey, a 6-foot-8 forward who finished with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor, the Tigers got to the paint and made the most of the opportunities.
Rebounding and free throws are key issues, especially in the second half
WVU finished 12-of-19 from the free-throw line, shooting only 63% as a team from the charity stripe. Giving away chances to score, WVU could not make the most of getting to the line.
Clemson also won the rebounding battle, out-rebounding WVU 36-33 on the glass. With a total of six offensive rebounds, many coming in the second half, WVU could not keep Clemson off the boards. Along with cleaning up on the glass, Clemson made the most of its chance on offensive rebounds, scoring a lot on second-chance opportunities.
Honor Huff's excellence in loss
With a game-leading 17 points, Honor Huff was magnificent in the loss. Hitting at least two corner threes in the second half, Huff was showcasing why he is one of the best three-point shooters in the country. Huff also added one rebound and one assist as he shot 5-6 from the floor and 3-4 from the three-point line.
A drive to the rim in the second half showed that Huff also does have the ability to take a player off the bounce if they are closing him out too hard on the outside. showing an extra dimesion to Huff's game that will delight West Virginia fans.
Parting thoughts
In a game that had an NCAA Tournament feel, WVU walked away with a gut-wrenching loss. Even in the loss, this will be a good experience for WVU to go against good competition and learn the importance of how to close out a game in the second half.