Preseason Tuneup
November 15, 2004 09:34 PM | General
November 15, 2004
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Mike Gansey scored 22 points to lead five West Virginia double figure scorers in an easy 97-42 exhibition victory over Pan American University Monday evening at the WVU Coliseum.
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| WVU's Mike Gansey dives for a loose ball in the first half of Monday's 97-42 exhibition win over Pan American University.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
Gansey, a St. Bonaventure transfer, made nine of 13 field goal attempts, pulled down six rebounds and handed out five assists in 30 minutes of action.
“I think this game was tailor made for him to get comfortable and that’s why I played him so many minutes,” said West Virginia coach John Beilein. “He, like anyone in their first year, will struggle with what we do, but he’s starting to do some things lately that have been very encouraging.”
Beilein was hoping his team would face a stiffer challenge against Pan American in order to get ready for the regular season opener this Saturday against St. Peter’s.
“You don’t get as much out of this as you’d like but you have to get as much out of it as you possibly can,” Beilein said. “That’s why we’re pressing when we’re ahead by 50; that’s why we’re trapping and leaving guys in when you’re ahead by a lot.”
D’or Fischer contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds, Tyrone Sally scored 14, Kevin Pittsnogle came off the bench to contribute 13, and Joe Herber added 10 for the Mountaineers.
West Virginia scored the first 10 points of the game and built a 16-2 lead on three layups by Gansey, a pair of close baskets by Fischer and baskets each from Herber, Sally and Pittsnogle.
Pan American closed the gap to 12, 23-11, on a jumper in the paint from Enrique Hernandez before the Mountaineers scored 16 straight points to take a 39-11 lead after a three-pointer from Pittsnogle.
West Virginia got its lead to 33 on a short jumper in the paint from Sally and back-to-back dunks from Darris Nichols and Gansey closed out the half with the Mountaineers leading by 37, 56-19.
Most of West Virginia’s points in the first half came from close range; the Mountaineers hit just four of 17 three-point field goal attempts for the half. A total of 10 different players including both freshmen Nichols and Luke Bonner saw action in the first half for West Virginia.
“I think we’re a little more athletic, especially with Mike and Darris who gives us a little more quickness that we did not have in the past,” Beilein said. “Sometimes it is just that amount that makes a big difference.”
The second half was much the same with the Mountaineers building leads of 57 at 10:36, 58 at 8:47 and then 60 with 4:01 remaining. At that point Beilein cleared his bench.
West Virginia shot 51.3 percent from the floor and out-rebounded the much smaller Pan American team, 53-30. WVU also handed out an impressive 28 assists.
“We had 28 assists on 40 baskets … that is what is exciting to us,” Beilein said. “You don’t see too much selfish play and people respect each other’s games.”
Gerson Harnandez led Pan American with 20 points. Pan American has lost all seven games against college competition this fall.
It counts the next time West Virginia takes the floor this Saturday against St. Peter’s in the season opener. Beilein says the Peacocks will give the Mountaineers a much stiffer challenge.
“They are very, very quick and they are a lot like the Northeastern team we saw last year and we paid a very big price in that game,” Beilein said.
St. Peter’s has one of the country’s most explosive players in 5-foot-9, 170-pound guard Keydren Clark, who averaged 26.7 points per game last year as a sophomore.
“He’s one of the most exciting players in the country,” Beilein said.
“We thought after the European trip that we would be ready, I don’t know, but we’re going to find out,” Beilein added.
St. Peter’s posted a 17-12 record last season and finished third in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Saturday’s game will get underway at 7 pm.
