Mountaineers Outmaneuver Cougars in a Showdown of Precision and Agility
The West Virginia Mountaineers, ranked 23rd, edged out the BYU Cougars with a final score of 76-69. The Mountaineers now stand with an impressive record, while the Cougars' performance this season has been less consistent. The game at Marriott Center saw the Mountaineers take an early lead and maintain their dominance throughout the match.
The West Virginia Mountaineers showcased a robust offensive effort right from the start, putting up 24 points in the first quarter and continuing to build on their lead with 19 points in the second. Their scoring slightly dipped to 15 points in the third but picked up again with 18 points in the fourth quarter to seal their victory. The team's shooting was particularly effective; they achieved a field goal percentage of fifty-two percent and were successful on forty-four percent of their attempts from beyond the arc.
Defensively, West Virginia also made significant contributions. They tallied four blocks and eleven steals over BYU's three blocks and six steals, indicating a more aggressive defensive stance that helped them control the game's tempo. Additionally, they capitalized on turnovers by scoring twenty-nine points off BYU's mistakes.
A key factor for West Virginia was their ability to score inside; they racked up thirty-eight points in paint compared to BYU's twenty-two. Despite being outrebounded by BYU (twenty-five total rebounds for WVU against thirty-seven for BYU), West Virginia made each possession count more effectively.
West Virginia’s free throw accuracy stood at sixty-one percent which proved sufficient alongside their solid two-point completion rate of fifty-five percent. Their fast break execution was sharp as well, contributing thirteen fast break points against just four from BYU.
Looking ahead after this conference game win, fans can anticipate another exciting matchup as The West Virginia Mountaineers will host Texas Tech Lady Raiders at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown on February 6th at 7:00 PM Eastern Time. This upcoming game will be available for viewing on ESPN+, ensuring fans won't miss any action as these teams face off next month.