How Brenen Lorient and Chance Moore lifted WVU to stunning upset over BYU

While we are two weeks out from Selection Sunday, the West Virginia Mountaineers certainly find themselves with work to do to make the field of 68 teams. A home win over 19th-ranked BYU on Saturday night at Hope Coliseum goes a long way toward righting the ship following WVU’s three-game losing skid. With the win, West Virginia improves to 17-12 and 8-8 in Big 12 play with two regular-season games remaining. 

In what was a total team effort for West Virginia, it was the heart and hustle of two Mountaineers in particular that led to the team’s ability to fend off the Cougars’ second-half comeback effort. 

Brenen Lorient

Lorient was second on the team in scoring with 18 points, and he scored 14 of those in the second half. He collected seven offensive rebounds and nearly finished the game with a double-double with nine total boards.

If that level of production doesn’t tell the tale fully, take into consideration that B-Lo was the primary defender on the nation’s leading scorer, AJ Dybantsa, who is likely to be a Top 3 pick in the NBA draft. While Dybantsa scored 20 points on Saturday night, that still ties his lowest scoring effort over BYU's last eight games, and Lorient and company did a rather impressive job making things difficult for the superstar. 

""I thought B-Lo was great tonight," head coach Ross Hodge said after the game. "He's been playing well and did a great job defending. He made AJ (Dybantsa) for what he got."

Chance Moore 

Plenty of times this season, Chance Moore has provided a much-needed spark off the bench. In the win over BYU, he made winning plays with high energy and effort. Moore scored 11 points and collected eight rebounds.

He made what was arguably the defensive play of the game with a steal in transition and the Mountaineers holding a 3-point lead with 53 seconds remaining. Moore was the secondary defender matched up with Dybantsa throughout the game, and, like Lorient, did a stellar job. 

The play of both Lorient and Chance Moore was indicative of a team that is desperate for wins at this point in the season. While it remains an uphill battle as far as getting an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament, the Mountaineers still have a real shot as we head into the final week of the regular season.  

This West Virginia team certainly has its flaws, but you cannot deny the heart and hustle that this team played with in the much-needed win over BYU. Head coach Ross Hodge has often spoken of the high-level resilience that this team displays, and it was on display on Saturday night as West Virginia bounced back to collect win number 17 on the season. The Mountaineers will visit Kansas State on Tuesday night at 8 PM EST with the broadcast set for ESPN+.