Mountaineers' Effort Falls Short Against Wildcats in Fierce Contest
The West Virginia Mountaineers faced a challenging opponent in the Kansas State Wildcats, culminating in a 81-67 scoreline. The Mountaineers now stand with an unaltered record, while the Wildcats improved theirs. The game, marked by intense competition and significant effort from both sides, took place at the WVU Coliseum.
The Mountaineers started strong with a first-half performance that saw them put up 42 points against the Wildcats' 40. However, the second half proved to be more demanding as they could only add 25 points to their tally compared to the Wildcats' additional 41 points. Despite matching free throw accuracy at an impressive 83 percent each, it was field goal percentage where West Virginia fell behind; they shot at a rate of 39 percent compared to Kansas State's more efficient 54 percent.
West Virginia's offensive efforts were led by their ability to convert eight three-point shots out of twenty-three attempts, resulting in a three-point shooting percentage of about 35 percent. However, this was overshadowed by Kansas State's balanced attack which included six made three-pointers and an overwhelming presence inside the paint where they scored a dominant 44 points.
Defensively, West Virginia managed six steals and one block but struggled on rebounds with only twenty-two total rebounds—fourteen defensive and four offensive—compared to Kansas State's thirty-five rebounds which included nine offensive boards contributing significantly to their second-chance opportunities.
Both teams had thirteen turnovers each; however, West Virginia could not capitalize as effectively as their opponents did on these opportunities. The Mountaineers scored five points off turnovers while the Wildcats secured seventeen points from similar situations. Additionally, West Virginia provided ten assists throughout the game but had difficulty maintaining possession leading to an assist-to-turnover ratio of approximately 0.77.
Kansas State showcased robust defense with five blocks and eight steals that disrupted many of West Virginia’s plays throughout the game. Their defensive prowess was further highlighted by limiting second-chance scoring for West Virginia who managed just four second-chance points compared to eleven for themselves.
Looking ahead after this hard-fought contest against Kansas State University’s team—the next challenge awaits for fans of The Mountaineers when they face off against Texas Longhorns at WVU Coliseum located in Morgantown on January 13th at precisely six o'clock in the evening Eastern Time Zone (ET). This upcoming match will be available for viewing through ESPN+ online platform ensuring fans won’t miss any action from this anticipated encounter.