The Mountaineers hope their victory over Texas will act as a platform for future growth.
W.Va.’s MORGANTOWN Despite having a lead for the last fifteen or so minutes of their 76-73 victory over No. 25 Texas on Saturday, West Virginia’s victory was not without its tense moments.
The Mountaineers’ inability to convert free throws at a higher rate and Texas guard Max Abmas combined to allow the Longhorns to close the gap to three points five times in the final 1:30.
A 27 of 41 effort on free throws, including 11 second-half misses on 33 attempts, made things more interesting late than they otherwise would have been for a WVU team that came into the game 3-6 in games decided by fewer than 10 points.
In terms of 1-and-1s, we leave 14 [points] on the table, and perhaps even more. It was on my mind, as a coach, to see those not falling late and to watch Abmas come down and make the shots he’s making, said Josh Eilert, the interim head coach of West Virginia. In those circumstances, you just try to figure out how to start over and declutter your thoughts. Some of those losses become part of us and stay with us. We certainly have a lot more confidence right now if we win two or three games and move them into the correct win-loss column.
A more vigorous defensive effort helped lead to 22 Texas turnovers, and though the Longhorns still shot slightly better than 45 percent overall, WVU played them nearly even in paint points (a 28-26 UT advantage) and exactly even on second-chance points with 10 apiece. Despite Abmas scoring his team’s final 17 points in a mere 2:29, the Mountaineers overcame the setback to secure their best win to date this season and avoid becoming the last Big 12 team to record a league victory.
The Mountaineers managed to win for just the second time in thirty-five days thanks to a combination of four players who scored in double figures and a strong 7 for 17 performance from three-point range.
“After two [Big 12] games, we’re giving up 85 points a game, so we can pinpoint some offensive issues, adjust some things, and be more effective there, but defense is ultimately where you have to hang your hat in this league,” Eilert remarked. “It’s very difficult to have that mindset to win games—to give up two and try to get three on the other end. It won’t be enough to simply outperform others. We probably won because of our defensive chemistry and adjustments, but we also won because of our offensive players’ buy-in to get better looks and take longer to select shots.
The Mountaineers’ schedule doesn’t get any easier with a trip to Oklahoma on Wednesday and a home game against Kansas on Saturday. Still, the team is hoping to build on their most notable of their six victories by using it as a platform for future success.
A more assured squad ought to take the court against the Sooners, if nothing else.
I tell these guys all the time that we’re like a shooter in a slump. We just need to see one win so that we can build on it and gain momentum, according to Eilert. “Hopefully, if we play that way and play together, they’ll realize that we’re just as good as anyone we play every night.”
The 6-foot-1 guard Aden Tagaloa-Nelson was added to the Mountaineers roster shortly before the start of the game on Saturday.
Tagaloa-Nelson, a safety for the WVU football team, just finished his redshirt season.
Tagaloa-Nelson, a Lexington, Kentucky native, attended Woodford County High School to play prep basketball.
Eilert and Tagaloa-Nelson have been friends for over a year, having first connected when the former WVU assistant coach was recruiting in the Bluegrass State.
Tagaloa-Nelson, according to Eilert, visited his office to greet the coaching staff of the team and was then given the opportunity to take part in open gym sessions with players on the active roster.
“Could I take you up on that offer coming in and joining the team?'” Eilert said, “and I said,’sure, I’d love to have you,” summarizing Tagaloa-Nelson as strong and tough-minded after the football season ended. “We’re really glad to have Aden in whatever capacity that he may have. He’s a high character kid who wants to compete every day.”
