6:00: Morning News

WVU streak hits 13: ‘Teddy Buckets’ delivers down stretch

West Virginia forward Teddy Allen shoots over Kansas State defenders during a 20-point outing Monday at Bramlage Coliseum.

 

Looking anything but overwhelmed by his first Big 12 road trip, Teddy Allen gave No. 6 West Virginia another injection of offense.

The freshman reserve scored 22 points, including 14 in the final 11 minutes, when the Mountaineers finished off Kansas State 77-69 on Monday for their 13th consecutive win.

Lamont West scored 19, Daxter Miles and Beetle Bolden added 10 each, and West Virginia (13-1, 2-0) led for 35 minutes while successfully completing a two-game stretch to conference play.

BOXSCORE: West Virginia 77, K-State 69

Just as Allen’s 15 points proved huge during Friday’s win at Oklahoma State, the 6-foot-5 forward worked in the lane to punish the Wildcats (11-3, 1-1), using an array of spin moves and drives.

“Teddy stepped up this game,” coach Bob Huggins said. “Teddy is good at penetrating and using his body. He puts people on his body and he’s so strong. He does a great job of not losing his balance and getting it on the backboard.”

West Virginia’s 34-11 margin in bench scoring concerned K-State coach Bruce Weber most.

“If you look back at last year’s games their bench did the same thing,” he said. “They just bring guys in and they play well. Allen played unbelievable and played really well against Oklahoma State.”

Allen shot 15-of-23 over the two-game stretch, compensating for point guard Jevon Carter’s 3-of-17 slump. The All-American candidate scored only three points this time — his lowest output in 57 games dating back nearly two years — but he still contributed 10 assists and eight rebounds.

Carter’s defense remained sturdy. He made three steals and twice tied up his K-State counterpart Kamaau Stokes on drives to the basket. Stokes finished 0-of-10 from the floor with a season-low six points.

The Wildcats, who shot 35 percent overall, got 17 points from Dean Wade, though WVU did not allow him any perimeter looks after the forward sank six 3-pointers at Iowa State.

Xavier Sneed got loose for several corner 3s, however, scoring 20 points that kept K-State in the game.

“Our double-teams have slipped and that’s why Sneed has 20,” Huggins said. “He just stood there in the corner and they found him.”

Numbers, notes, etc.

West Virginia’s 13-of-16 foul shooting followed a 27-of-32 performance in Stillwater. It began the day among the top quarter of Division I teams at 73.7 percent. … Miles matched his career-high with seven assists and has 18 over the past three games. … The Mountaineers won the rebounding category 38-27, but finished minus-three in turnovers with 18, a season-worst total that matched Friday’s game at Oklahoma State.

Early road success

For the fifth consecutive season, Big 12 schedule-makers granted WVU’s wish for a two-game road trip to start league play. Because these swings occur between semesters, it relaxes the travel burden on the team to rush home to classes.

The Mountaineers are 9-1 in those games, with the exception being a buzzer-beater overtime loss at Texas Tech last season.

Quotable, part I

“We have a play card that has about 75 sets on it and I did not find one that I thought would work,” Huggins said. “So we just tried to move them and tried to get them chasing us. I thought if we could get them chasing us we could get it into the lane.”

Quotable, part II

“The sad part is that it is a game where you really cannot coach. They take the coaching out of your hands,” K-State’s Weber said. “Those guys have to play fast but you might put them in spots. One time they trapped the ball and screened, one time they run-and-jump you, then they switch a ball-screen. You have to keep making the next play and when you get in the paint you have to make that right pass.”

Around the Big 12

Texas 74, Iowa State 70 (OT): Dyaln Osetkowski made seven 3s on his way to a career-high 25 points and Texas dealt the Cyclones a second straight loss in Ames.

Freshman center Mohamed Bamba remained a factor for the Longhorns (10-4, 1-1) with 10 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks. Donovan Jackson scored 24 points while sinking six 3s for Iowa State (9-4, 0-2), but his teammates went 1-of-15 from deep.





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