Box Score MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Lamont West scored 22 points and sophomore center Sagaba Konate contributed a career-high 20 to lead 23^rd-ranked West Virginia to a 91-62 victory over Long Beach State here tonight at the WVU Coliseum.
 
The game was a non-bracketed matchup as part of the Advocare Invitational taking place later this week at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and both teams will share a charter flight to Orlando tomorrow.
 
"That's a lot better win than people realize," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. "They're going to win their league and probably beat some other people as well."
 
Long Beach State lost by just two at Oregon State two nights ago in Corvallis and made the cross-country flight to Morgantown yesterday before tonight's game.
 
West's 22 came on 6 of 11 shooting, five of those from 3, and he also grabbed eight rebounds.
 
Konate was equally impressive, hitting 8 of 10 from the floor, making all four of his free throws, grabbing seven rebounds and making four spectacular blocks that influenced Long Beach State's willingness to shoot more inside the paint.
 
And he probably had more than the four blocks he was credited for.
 
"He had three (blocks) in three possessions in the first half," Huggins said. "He generally blocks it into the backboard so it stays in play."
 
Offensively, a number of Konate's baskets came away from the basket, including a couple beyond the free throw line from about 17 feet away.
 
Sophomore guard Chase Harler scored a career-high 12 by halftime and finished with 14 in 30 minutes of action.
 
"Sags was probably the MVP of the game, but Chase was a close second," Huggins said. "He's starting to understand angles better instead of chasing a guy, let's chase him at an angle where we can get back in front of him."
 
Jevon Carter contributed 13, handed out seven assists and made three steals.
 
West Virginia forced Long Beach State (2-2) into committing 21 turnovers and wore down the travel-weary 49ers in the second half.
 
"I thought we played hard," Huggins said. "In all fairness to them, I think they were a little tired. We have a tendency to wear people down because they have to work so hard to get the ball up the floor anyway, and then compound that with them getting three-hour's sleep two nights ago."
 
Long Beach State's Gabe Levin matched a career-high with 23 points while Gonzaga transfer Bryan Alberts contributed 20.
 
This is the second time these two schools have met. The first happened in the first round of the 76 Classic in Anaheim, California on Nov. 26, 2009 when West Virginia won that game 85-62.
 
The 49ers had an early 9-3 lead tonight before West Virginia scored six straight to tie it at nine. The Mountaineers' first lead came on a Wesley Harris free throw with 13:05 remaining in the first half to make it 15-14. Here, a quick 6-0 spurt pushed the lead to seven, and then another 6-1 spurt got it to 12, 31-19, on a Jevon Carter baseline jumper.
 
West Virginia's biggest lead of the first half, 17, was also the margin it took into the locker room at intermission.
 
The 49ers got their deficit down to 15 with 11:50 remaining before running out of gas. Soon it was back to 20 and eventually to 31 before Jordan Griffin's jumper with 14 seconds left made the final margin 29.
 
"We're getting better," Huggins said. "It takes a lot of repetitions."

The attendance tonight was announced as 8,676.
 
West Virginia (3-1) plays Marist Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. on ESPNNEWS and will play either Nebraska or Central Florida Friday night.
 
The Mountaineers will play a third game on Sunday against an opponent yet to be determined.