MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia’s full-court defense didn’t mess with Texas much, forcing only eight turnovers.
That marked the fewest in 66 games, dating back to the November 2013 loss to Wisconsin in Cancun. The quartet of Mountaineers who met with reporters after their 56-49 upset loss didn’t see enough intensity to rattle the Longhorns.
For one momentum-sapping night, Press Virginia effectively turned into Rest Virginia.
“There was no energy out there, no pressure. It was just like nonchalant,” said Jonathan Holton.
“Today we came out with no energy and it came back to bite us,” said Jaysean Paige.
“We just didn’t come to play today,” added Daxter Miles.
Texas coach Shaka Smart stood by his position that the press makes West Virginia “the best defensive team in the country,” even though the previous 40 minutes didn’t bring the usual array of steals and deflections.
“They try to turn you over and I know how devastating that can be,” Smart said. “But our guards did a great job of leading the way, between Javan (Felix) and Isaiah (Taylor), those guys played 65 minutes.”
And they combined for only one turnover.
Free-throw follies: After West Virginia opened the game missing eight straight free throws, the crowd of 9,000-plus gave a comical applause when Miles finally made one.
He promptly missed the next.
Compounding their lack of steals and transition offense, the Mountaineers made only 8-of-23 at the foul line (34.8 percent), their worst mark since the February 2012 loss vs. Notre Dame in which they finished 1-of-3.
Esa Ahmad missed his only pair and 76-percent foul shooter Jevon Carter clanged the front ends of two one-and-ones. Reserve forward Elijah Macon, after making only 2-of-7, said the cure for the free-throw woes was to ”shoot a thousand a day.”
Paige didn’t get to the foul line at all after averaging nearly 10 attempts in his five previous league games.
“The way we attack the rim, we’ve got to be able to knock down free throws,” he said. “Attacking the basket and missing two free throws is a turnover.”
Morgantown snow snarls another team: Last week it was Kansas inching through snowy gridlock to arrive at the Coliseum about an hour before tipoff. The Texas team bus cut it even closer, pulling in only 37 minutes before game time.
“I want to thank the WVU Police Department for their escort from our hotel,” Smart said after the victory. “If it weren’t for them we would literally be getting here right now.”