West Virginia defeats Colorado 72-61
West Virginia defeated Colorado 72-61 inside Hope Coliseum Saturday night. The win puts WVU at 12-6 overall and 3-2 in Big 12 play.
The Mountaineers went with the usual starting lineup of point guard Jasper Floyd, guard Honor Huff, guard Treysen Eaglestaff, forward Brenen Lorient and center Harlan Obioha.
Eaglestaff exploded for 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting while Huff finished with 14 points and Lorient flirted with a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds.
Just under seven minutes went by before the first media timeout of the game, in which WVU led 13-6. Eaglestaff hit his first three shots with two tough layups and a wide-open three-pointer in the left corner. Obioha made a putback layup before guards Chance Moore and Amir Jenkins checked in and converted a basket each in the paint.
After the break, Eaglestaff made a mid-range jumper, and Floyd recorded his first basket of the game. Colorado answered with two baskets of its own, setting the score at 17-10 before the under-12-minute media timeout.
When play resumed, Huff immediately knocked down a three-pointer, and Jenkins scored a layup off an Obioha steal a minute later. Obioha went 1-for-2 from the free-throw line before Eaglestaff splashed another triple. Colorado stuck around with two three-pointers as well.
WVU led 26-20.
For the final seven minutes of the half, both teams traded baskets as Jenkins made a fadeaway mid-range jumper, Huff converted a deep two, Obioha made a free throw, and Lorient scored five points with two layups and a free throw.
At halftime, WVU led 36-29.
Obioha opened the second half by converting two free throws, and Eaglestaff scored a layup after a Colorado jumper. The Buffs saw a layup from forward Bangot Dak and a three-pointer by forward Aloni Mitchell to cut the Mountaineer lead to four, at 40-36.
After a media timeout, guard Barrington Hargress drilled his second three-pointer of the game, and forward DJ Thomas responded with a layup. Then, two free throws and a layup gave Colorado its first lead of the game at 43-42.
WVU regained the lead after Eaglestaff went 1-for-2 from the line and made a jump shot, while Floyd made a close-range jumper. Hargress made another three-pointer with the score set at 47-46.
Out of a media timeout, WVU saw an 8-0 run- it’s largest of the game- with two free throws from Lorient, an Eaglestaff three-pointer, an Obioha free throw and a layup from Eaglestaff forced Colorado to use a timeout.
After a layup and free throw from Colorado, Huff got to the line and nailed both free throws. The Buffs made two free throws of their own before Lorient made a layup and three-pointer on the ensuing possession. Dak responded with a triple, then Huff banked in a triple.
WVU led 65-58 with 3:48 remaining.
The Mountaineers ran away with the game behind three free throws from Obioha and Huff. Lorient recorded a block, leading to a Huff layup and a 30-second timeout from Colorado.
The game concluded with the score at 72-61.
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