If you have even remotely paid attention to the West Virginia Mountaineers this season, you've probably thought to yourself at least once – imagine if this team could put together a full game on the offensive end of the floor.
The Mountaineers have been an incredible team on the defensive end of the floor this season, ranking among the Top 15 nationally in multiple defensive statistics. But on offense, they've been about as anemic as one could imagine a Power 5 basketball team to be.
Entering Saturday, the Mountaineers ranked last in the Big 12 in scoring, averaging 69.5 points per game – including a dismal 28 points per game in the first half of Big 12 action. They also sat just 13th of 16 teams in the Big 12 in offensive rebounds, with 10.3 per game.
So when WVU came out on their home court on Saturday against a Top 25 opponent with a potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick averaging 25 points per game and scored 40 points in the first half alone, fans likely wondered if the colors on their television sets were a bit out of whack. But it wasn't a broadcast glitch, but rather an anomaly from the Mountaineers, as they used an uncharacteristic offensive effort to secure a 79-71 win over the Cougars.
West Virginia Mountaineers use balanced scoring, offensive rebounding to beat BYU and keep NCAA Tournament hopes alive
The Mountaineers put together quite an impressive effort on the offensive end of the floor for a team that has left its fans questioning if they might be among the worst offensive units in the nation.
The numbers aren't super eye-popping, as BYU had better shooting percentages both from three-point range and overall. But the Mountaineers did enough offensively to win, which hasn't been the case most of the season for a team that had managed to score at least 60 points in just eight of their 15 league games before the showdown with BYU.
Most importantly, the Mountaineers not only outscored their opponents in the first half on Saturday, which has rarely been the case this season, but they looked dominant against the Cougars early, running away to a 14-point lead at the halftime break. It looked reminiscent of what has happened to WVU countless times this season more so than it did of their typical caliber of play.
It was a relatively balanced affair scoring wise for WVU, as 17 of their 27 made field goals were assisted buckets, and five WVU players hit double-digit points. The Mountaineers were led by Honor Huff, who finished with 19 points and a trio of three-pointers, and Brenen Lorient, who shot 50% from the field and added nine boards. But DJ Thomas (13), Chance Moore (11), and Jasper Floyd (11) also had big scoring efforts.
Enough credit cannot be given to the offensive rebounding effort by WVU as well, as they outrebounded BYU 39-29 by way of 18 offensive rebounds, which helped result in the Mountaineers outscoring BYU 15-8 in second-chance points. Once again, Lorient was key here as well, with seven of his nine rebounds coming offensively.
The Mountaineers still have some work that needs to be done if they hope to revive their NCAA Tournament hopes, but they took a big first step toward that goal by ending the bleeding of a three-game losing skid and earning their fifth Quad 1 victory of the season against the Cougars. And if they want to keep those March Madness dreams viable, they need to channel this offensive effort a few more times in the next couple of weeks.