MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Freshman Oscar Tshiebwe delivered in his first game at WVU Coliseum, recording a double-double to lead West Virginia to a 78-70 win over Duquense in a charity exhibition.
Tshiebwe scored 17 points on 7 of 10 shooting from the field and grabbed 14 rebounds.
Fellow newcomer Sean McNeil provided some offensive spark off the bench, finishing second on the team with 12 points. McNeil was 2-for-5 from three-point range.
The Mountaineers showed they have several things to work on before the regular season tips off against Akron in a week.
“I didn’t like much,” said West Virginia coach Bob Huggins.
Free-throw shooting is at the top of the list after West Virginia was an abysmal 50 percent (10 of 20) from the line against the Dukes.
“They make 100 free throws at the end of every practice,” Huggins said. “The way they shot tonight, it would have been an all-night deal.”
In general, West Virginia was sloppy on offense. Duquense forced 14 turnovers, nine of which were steals. The Dukes scored 23 points off of turnovers.
The three-point shooting that Bob Huggins has touted this preseason was rarely evident Friday night as the Mountaineers shot 26.1 percent (6 of 23) from long range.
“We make shots in practice,” Huggins said.
They were adept when pounding it inside, though, shooting 58.1 percent (25 of 43) from two-point territory. West Virginia had a 46-26 scoring advantage in the paint.
Meanwhile, WVU’s defense wasn’t exactly vintage Press Virginia. The Mountaineers pocketed just three steals, one of which was produced by a player who saw his only action of the season — freshman Jalen Bridges, who will sit out the rest of the year as a redshirt.
The Mountaineers did dominate the glass, which figures to be a recurring theme for a frontcourt led by Tshiebwe and sophomore Derek Culver. West Virginia outrebounded Duquense by a 48-35 margin. The Mountaineers were particularly efficient when extending possessions, turning 16 offensive rebounds into 20 second-chance points.
Proceeds from the exhibition will go towards a fund for families affected by the August mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio that killed 10 and wounded 17 in 32 seconds.