MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia was in catch-up mode for most of Tuesday’s 75-56 loss to Arizona that brought an end to the Mountaineers’ seven-game win streak and unbeaten start in Big 12 play.
Save for leads of 3-2 and 5-2, the Mountaineers were never ahead, and the contest wasn’t tied again after the teams were even at 8 more than 5 minutes into their second meeting this season.
While No. 21 WVU (11-3, 2-1) fared better from a point margin perspective in the latter 20 minutes than it did in the opening half, the Mountaineers were still outscored 36-28 after halftime, including by 14 points over the final 13:13 after they’d pulled to within 50-45.
“We just couldn’t keep pace with them,” first-year Mountaineer head coach Darian DeVries said. “On the defensive end, they had us in a lot of different ways. When we countered with something, they made a quick adjustment. We couldn’t keep them out of the paint tonight. They were living in there and that’s a tough way to play defense.”
The Wildcats (9-5, 3-0) generated an abundance of high-percentage shots to finish 31 for 61 and produce the best shooting percentage of any Mountaineer opponent through 14 games.
Nearly half (36) of Arizona’s points came in the paint, and the visitors generated 17 field goals between layups and dunks. The Mountaineers, meanwhile, combined for only 16 points between layups and dunks.
“They’re a very good team, but we’ve seen good teams as well that we can guard,” said WVU forward Toby Okani. “We weren’t hooked up and focused tonight.”
As will be the case for the majority of WVU’s Big 12 opponents, the Wildcats have more height than the Mountaineers. They made the most of that advantage by finishing plus-14 in paint points, plus-seven on second-chance points and plus-9 in rebounding.
Although Arizona scored 38 paint points in an earlier meeting against WVU, which the Mountaineers won 83-76 in overtime in the Battle 4 Atlantis third-place game, the Wildcats made 22-of-43 two-point field-goal attempts in the first meeting. On Tuesday, Arizona was 24 for 41 from inside the arc.
“They are long. They have great size and we’ve talked about for us to be successful, we have to be more physical,” DeVries said. “We’re not bigger and taller. We have to do certain things to offset that. We’ve been pretty good at it, but tonight, we just weren’t. They did a nice job. They’re a good team and they’re playing really well. It’s a 20-game league schedule. I told them before league play started, you’re going to have a [bad] night or two. The important thing is you can’t let this one impact the next one.”
The Mountaineers have Wednesday off before turning their full attention toward Sunday’s 3 p.m. matchup at Colorado.
Learning from the shortcomings that transpired Tuesday will be important before clashing with the Buffaloes. So, too, will improving the health of a team that’s been shorthanded for more than a month.
Forward Tucker DeVries has missed six straight games and his absence was felt in a major way against the Wildcats — a team he scored a game-high 26 points against while draining eight three-pointers in the overtime triumph. But DeVries has played only once since, in the next game against Georgetown, and it remains to be seen if he suits up again this season.
“He’s just a really good player. They’re different without him,” Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said. “I’m not going to say they’re as good of a team without him, but here’s the deal — they’ve been winning without him. Their coach is doing great work and he’s putting them in the right positions. He’s been doing a great job managing games, picking matchups, calling the right set and then giving those guys confidence. Those guys have confidence to make big shots. Some of those guys might not be great shooters, but they’re making big shots in big moments. That’s what great coaches do — and he’s doing a heck of a job.”
WVU was without KJ Tenner in its most recent game, the first time the freshman guard averaging 3.8 points and 14.4 minutes has missed a contest in college.
Amani Hansberry played in a second straight game after missing the matchup at Kansas as a result of a right ankle injury. Hansberry, who has been utilized as a reserve each of the last two contests after starting the first 11 games, left Tuesday with an undisclosed injury just beyond the midway point of the second half. He did not return to action and was not on the bench after being forced to sit out.
Guard Jayden Stone was also not with the team for a second straight game due to what coach DeVries labeled a family issue. While Stone has yet to play over the first 14 games as a result of a preseason injury, the 6-foot-4 guard could provide some much-needed scoring punch to a squad that’s failed to score 70 points each of its last four games. Stone was dressed and took part in warmups at Kansas, which marked the first and only time this season he was with the team and not in street clothes.
WVU has been outscored in the second half of all three league games by a combined total of 108-80. The Mountaineers have yet to score 30 or more points in the second half of league play.
Compare that to the first half of three Big 12 games, which the Mountaineers have outscored the opposition by a combined score of 107-78.
DeVries, however, won’t let a lack of bodies that have created a shorter rotation be a reason for poor play.
“We played seven guys. We’re fine,” he said. “Injuries happen, foul trouble happens. We’re just going to play. That’s just part of it.“