Mountaineers Edged Out by Cowboys in a Nail-Biter at Gallagher-Iba Arena

The West Virginia Mountaineers faced a narrow defeat against the Oklahoma State Cowboys with a final score of 66-70. The Mountaineers now stand with an overall record of 0-1, while the Cowboys have started their season with a 1-0 record.

In what was an intense conference game at Gallagher-Iba Arena, the West Virginia Mountaineers showcased a determined effort but ultimately fell short to the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The game saw multiple lead changes, totaling ten throughout the contest, and was tied eight times, indicating just how closely matched these two teams were.

The Mountaineers put up a resilient fight and were particularly impressive from beyond the arc, sinking ten three-point shots for an impressive shooting percentage of forty-six percent from that range. Their overall field goal percentage stood at forty-three percent with twenty-four successful shots out of fifty-six attempts. However, they struggled slightly more within the paint and on two-point attempts where they recorded only fourteen makes out of thirty-four tries for forty-one percent accuracy.

West Virginia's defense managed to block two shots and came away with seven steals over the course of play. They also worked hard under their own basket securing twenty-nine total rebounds; six offensive grabs contributed to second-chance opportunities while twenty-two defensive boards helped stifle some of Oklahoma State's momentum.

Despite these efforts, personal fouls proved costly for West Virginia as they accumulated eighteen over the game which allowed their opponents significant opportunities at the free-throw line where Oklahoma State capitalized by making seventy-seven percent of their free throws.

On offense, ball distribution was evident as eleven assists were recorded by West Virginia players but this was somewhat overshadowed by twelve turnovers which led to thirteen points off turnovers for Oklahoma State. The assist-to-turnover ratio for West Virginia settled at 0.92 reflecting more turnovers than assists – an area likely targeted for improvement in future games.

The Cowboys had their own strengths highlighted through fast break points totaling fourteen and points in paint reaching twenty-six which underscored their ability to penetrate West Virginia's defense effectively. Additionally, Oklahoma State demonstrated strong rebounding capabilities pulling down thirty-four rebounds including five offensive ones that resulted in eight second-chance points.

As fans look forward to seeing how West Virginia will bounce back from this setback, attention turns toward their next matchup scheduled against Cincinnati Bearcats on January 31st at WVU Coliseum located in Morgantown. This upcoming home game is set to tip-off at 7:00 PM Eastern Time and will be available for viewing on ESPN+ internet broadcast networks ensuring fans won't miss any action as Mountaineers aim to secure victory on home turf.