WVU Basketball faces tough test but secures win against UMass

The West Virginia men's basketball program rolled easily in their season-opening win against Robert Morris on Monday night but faced a more difficult test at home against UMass on Friday. The Frank Martin-led Minutemen of UMass came into the Coliseum presenting a physical brand of basketball that the Mountaineers would be tested by. But at the game’s end, West Virginia prevailed by a score of 75-69 to pick up their second victory of the season.

Takeaways from the UMass won

1. An impressive first half 

West Virginia looked rather sharp in the first half of action on Friday night, taking a 45-28 lead into the break. An 8-0 run powered by two made threes coming from Javon Small and Jonathan Powell, paired with a Powell layup had the Coliseum feeling electric. West Virginia played with a noticeable defensive intensity and moved the ball well on the offensive end.

2. A poor shooting night did not keep the Mountaineers from picking up the win 

Often times a sign of a good team is found in their ability to find different ways to win. West Virginia shot 36.8% (21-57) from the floor and 34.8% (8-23) from three-point territory. If it weren’t for their ability to knock down free throws, they may have come out on the losing end of this one. West Virginia shot 86.2% (25-29) from the free-throw line on the night. 

3. Rebounding by Committee may be the only solution for WVU’s lack of big-man depth

5 different Mountaineers hauled in 4 or more rebounds against UMASS. Starting big man Amani Hansberry had a sold night with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. That doesn’t tell the whole story though, as backup big man Eduardo Andre secured 6 rebounds in 13 minutes played. Tucker DeVries, Javon Small, and Toby Okani combined for 17 rebounds. WVU did have the rebounding edge 36-34 over the Minutemen. Sure, UMass isn’t a Big 12 opponent, but a Frank Martin team is no slouch.

4. West Virginia fans should feel ecstatic about the start of this season 

Again, it's Robert Morris and UMass, but picking up any win is a breath of fresh air for a Mountaineer basketball program that has endured a lot of difficulty over the last 18 months. A fresh start, a new coaching staff, and a brand new roster already showing great passion and grit are tremendous things for this program. 

West Virginia’s next test will be on the road in the Backyard Brawl with archrival Pitt on Friday, November 15 at 8pm EST.