Downing the Dukes
December 09, 2009 09:41 PM | General
December 9, 2009
BOX SCORE | PHOTOS | BOB HUGGINS POSTGAME REMARKS
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Sixth-ranked West Virginia flexed its muscles Wednesday night against Duquesne at the WVU Coliseum, defeating the Dukes 68-39.
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| West Virginia's Da'Sean Butler drives on Duquesne's Bill Clark during Wednesday night's game at the WVU Coliseum. West Virginia won the game 68-39.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks photo |
West Virginia didn’t shoot particularly well (36.4 percent) but it doesn’t matter when you play defense the way the Mountaineers can.
Duquesne shot much worse, hitting just 31.8 percent of its shot attempts including 2 of 13 from 3-point distance. The Dukes committed a season-high 24 turnovers, were beaten 45-34 on the glass, and scored a season-low 39 points.
“I thought we played pretty well to start the game and in the second half we kind of just stopped playing,” said West Virginia coach Bob Huggins. “It looked like a game at the rec.”
Duquesne (6-3) came into the game averaging 68.2 points per game.
"We got shut out right off the bat and we tried to respond but we couldn't keep them off the offensive glass and they shut us off defensively," said Duquesne coach Ron Everhart.
Kevin Jones led three double-figure scorers with 16 points, while Wellington Smith added a season-high 11 and Da’Sean Butler contributed 10.
Jones had a game-high nine rebounds for the Mountaineers. No West Virginia starter played more than 29 minutes.
West Virginia (6-0) never trailed in the game, jumping out to an early 5-0 lead on a pair of baskets by Butler. The Mountaineers’ lead grew to 10, 12-2, at the 16-minute mark and later swelled to 21 with three minutes remaining in the half.
West Virginia’s largest lead was 34, 61-27, with 10:43 left in the game.
“I thought for the most part we played defensively the whole game,” said Huggins. “Offensively … it seems to me it’s the same guys, so I’m going to fix it.”
West Virginia scored 29 of its 68 points off of Duquesne turnovers.
“We’ve done nothing but talk to them about let’s score with the ball,” said Huggins. “Every time we scored over 70 a year ago we won, so let’s score over 70 points. We have guys that are very capable.
“If you are a step-in shooter then you ought to shoot step-in shots,” Huggins added. “You shouldn’t put it on the floor, between your legs, and try and create something. That’s not your game.”
Duquesne had been very competitive against West Virginia in recent games played at the Coliseum. The Dukes defeated the Mountaineers, 68-61, in Morgantown in 2001 and they lost by just four to John Beilein’s team in 2003.
But Duquesne’s last three trips to the Coliseum in 2005, 2007 and 2009 have seen West Virginia post winning margins of at least 20 points. Tonight’s win was the seventh straight for the Mountaineers over Duquesne.
Damian Saunders was the only Dukes player to reach double figures with 12 points.
West Virginia returns to the Coliseum on Saturday to face Coppin State at 7 p.m. The game has been designated a Family Day with four tickets, four cokes, four hot dogs and a bucket of popcorn costing just $60.
Tickets are available online at WVUGAME.com or by calling the Mountaineer Ticket Office toll-free at 1-800-WVU GAME.
