MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Inside the WVU Coliseum, No. 17 West Virginia was looking to take care of business and Texas Tech was looking to keep its head above .500.
Thanks to a strong second-half push, the Mountaineers won 77-58 to complete the season sweep (and surpass last season’s win total.) They’re 18-3 overall, 6-2 in the Big 12 and primed to begin a hearty 10-game stretch unlike any the program has ever faced.
But we’ll talk more about the future tomorrow. Here’s a recap of the updates and photos throughout Saturday’s game:
West Virginia wins 77-58 (final)
Devin Williams finished with 18 points and eight rebounds, Daxter Miles scored 12 and Juwan Staten added 11 points and five assists as the Mountaineers shot 48 percent overall. But the story, as always, was that press—it forced 26 turnovers.
West Virginia wins 77-58 (final)
Robert Turner had 18 points at the half and 18 at the finish line. He was 0-of-2 shooting in the second half, covered up primarily by Gary Browne’s defense. … The Red Raiders (11-11, 1-8) fell to 0-8 away from home this season and 6-44 in the past four years.
West Virginia leads 67-47 (7:35 second half)
Williams is 6-of-7 from the floor and the Mountaineers are shooting 49 percent overall. The lead could be even wider if not for 16-of-28 foul shooting by WVU, which has never trailed.
West Virginia leads 56-38 (11:01 second half)
Texas Tech’s ballhandling—and, of course WVU’s defense—have combined to blow this thing open. That’s 11 second-half turnovers in less than nine minutes. The Mountaineers, who began the second half on a 16-2 run, have a 31-7 edge in points off turnovers.
West Virginia leads 37-31 (halftime)
After leading by 16, the lead is down to six at the break. Tech turned it over 11 times but owned the boards 18-11. Then there’s Robert Turner. His season-high is 19 and he has 18 already. … Browne leads WVU with 10 while Staten and Williams have six points each.
West Virginia leads 30-21 (3:51 first half)
Texas Tech center Norense Odiase was ejected with 5:41 left for charging at Brandon Watkins after the WVU big man fouled Robert Turner on a full-speed layup attempt. TV cameras appeared to show Watkins with a double-barreled flip that preceded Odiase’s moment of machismo. (Watkins was not T’d up even after refs checked the monitors.) Namaste, Norense. Namaste.
West Virginia leads 21-14 (7:40 first half)
11 of the Mountaineers’ 18 shots have come from 3-point range, which is more reminiscent of last year’s bombers. Gary Browne has two 3s and Staten just sank one, though you wonder if that will be enough to bring Tech out of this zone. My guess is no, because WVU hasn’t proved it can shoot well over an extended period. … If you’re looking for a first-half stunner, Jonathan Holton has gone 12 minutes without committing a foul.
West Virginia leads 14-10 (11:05 first half)
Texas Tech has four turnovers and WVU has a 7-0 edge in points off turnovers. Devin Williams has made a couple quick buckets, one with a foot beyond the 3-point line. The Mountaineers have been launching plenty of 3s so far, going 2-of-7 from deep as Texas Tech shows zone. … Raiders guard Robert Turner has a pair of 3s himself.
West Virginia leads 9-5 (15:46 first half)
The Mountaineers jumped out early but Texas Tech has two field goals, which is worth celebrating after making only 11 the entire game at Oklahoma on Wednesday.
PREGAME NOTES
— West Virginia forced 22 turnovers while winning 78-67 in Lubbock, and you could see the fear in the eyes of Texas Tech’s ballhandlers. “We felt like our defense bothered them and we feel like our offense has gotten better since then,” said Staten.
— The line favors West Virginia by 16.5 points and my pregame prediction was Mountaineers 75-63. I only emphasize this because I’m 13-5 against the spread on WVU games this season, so the inevitable fall is coming.