WVU Downs the Grizzlies
November 24, 2006 12:30 AM | General
November 23, 2006
BOX SCORE
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| Frank Young |
ORLANDO -- Frank Young scored a career-high 21 points and Joe Alexander added 18 points to lead West Virginia to a 73-56 victory over Montana in the opening round of the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla., Thursday night.
Young was 8 of 16 including 5 of 10 from 3-point distance and Alexander was 8 of 13 to help West Virginia shoot 50 percent for the game (28 of 56).
Young, a senior forward, was able to have a career-high night in front of several friends and family making the trip over from his hometown of Tallahassee, Fla.
“We’ve been to South Florida one time and I’m so happy because his mother has been a perfect mother of a player,” said West Virginia coach John Beilein. “She wanted Frank to earn everything and for her to see him play like that is terrific.”
Darris Nichols contributed 11 points, six rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes of action.
Alexander scored the first six points of the game and West Virginia jumped out to a 14-2 lead. Montana cut the Mountaineers’ lead to five, 14-9 on a Cameron Rundles lay up.
“It’s good to see that Joe Alexander was nervous for his first ESPN start, huh? He just comes out bang, bang, bang and all of the sudden it’s 9-2 or something. He’s starting to learn what he can do and what he can’t do,” said Beilein.
West Virginia led by 12, 31-19, on an Alexander 3 before Montana went on an 8-3 run to close WVU’s lead to 34-27 at halftime.
West Virginia set the tone in the second half, forcing Montana into a shot clock violation and used an 8-2 run to take a 42-29 lead and force Grizzlies coach Wayne Tinkle to call a time out.
The Mountaineers’ biggest lead of the game was 25, 67-42, on a pretty baseline basket by freshman Da’Sean Butler.
At the end of the game, Beilein had four freshmen and junior center Jamie Smalligan on the floor.
“This gave us a chance to get some other guys out there,” said Beilein.
Montana was just 4 of 18 from 3-point range with two of those 3s coming with less than two minutes left in the game by backup forward Mike Chavez.
“I think that was a terrific team that we just beat. The big difference in the game is we made 3-point shots and they did not,” said Beilein.
Andrew Strait led Montana (1-3) with 14 points. The Grizzlies missed 14 of their first 15 shots from 3-point range and finished 4 for 18.
Strait was joined in double figures for Montana by Jordan Hasquet and Matt Dloughy, who scored 12 and 10 points, respectively.
The Mountaineers (4-0) will face Western Michigan Friday evening at 5 pm in a game that will air on ESPN2. Western Michigan knocked off Virginia Tech 71-68 earlier this evening.
“There is not a whole lot that we’re going to be able to change and there is not a whole lot Western Michigan can change as well,” Beilein said. “I didn’t know if we would be playing the Hokies in the losers bracket but I’m glad that we can advance.”
