Mountaineers Roll
December 16, 2006 06:24 PM | General
December 16, 2006
BOX SCORE | PHOTO GALLERY
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| Darris Nichols scores two points in the second half to help West Virginia to a 76-41 victory over Savannah State Saturday at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, W.Va.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Joe Alexander scored 16 of his career-high-matching 18 points in the first half to lead West Virginia to a workman-like 76-41 victory over the Savannah State Tigers Saturday afternoon at the WVU Coliseum.
The Mountaineers jumped on the Tigers from the opening tip, building a 19-5 lead at the 10:25 mark of the first half. Savannah State cut the deficit to 19-10 but West Virginia (8-1) promptly responded with three straight three-pointers, the first by Joe Mazzulla and the last two by Frank Young to push the lead to 28-10 with 5:32 remaining in the first half. The Mountaineers led by double digits the rest of the way.
The Mountaineers shot 57 percent in the first half including 8 of 16 from three point distance to build a 43-24 halftime advantage.
“I think we came out ready to play today,” West Virginia head coach John Beilein said. “The intensity level was good from the start and I was happy we were up 19 at halftime.”
Young complimented Alexander’s efforts with 16 points on 5 of 10 shooting from the floor. Alex Ruoff added 11 points to round out the Mountaineers in double figures.
As has been the case for much of the season, the Mountaineers relied on their defense to create easy opportunities for scoring at the other end. West Virginia used their vaunted 1-3-1 zone to force 26 Tiger turnovers. The Mountaineers on the other hand turned the ball over just nine times, giving the Gold and Blue a decisive 40-4 advantage in points off turnovers.
“They went with the 1-3-1 zone and our guys just didn’t pick up on it,” Savannah State coach Horace Broadnax said. “We just couldn’t keep it close. It is tough to win on the road. It is a necessary evil. Being on the road will help us get better.”
Freshman forward Wellington Smith added an exclamation point to the WVU rout at the 3:52 mark of the second half. Following a missed jump shot by Devan Bawinkel, Smith soared high for the rebound, controlled the ball with both hands above the cylinder and slammed it down for an emphatic two points that sent the crowd of 7,538 into a frenzy.
The Mountaineers, ranked first in the Big East and fourth nationally in field goal percentage defense, lived up to that reputation on Saturday, holding Savannah State to 37 percent from the field on 16 of 43 shooting.
Despite cooling off in the second half, the Mountaineers still managed to shoot 46 percent from the field for the game. West Virginia also cashed in at the foul line, converting 14 of 17 charity shots for an 82 percent clip.
“Our real deal right now is not about winning games but to get better,” Beilein said. “We’ve been going extra time with all the young players and stressing individual skills.”
Savannah State (5-9) was led by Josh Obiajunwa with nine points
The Mountaineers return to action on Wednesday, Dec. 20 when they host The Citadel Bulldogs. Tip time at the WVU Coliseum is set for 7:00 p.m.
