WVU Downs VMI
November 27, 2010 10:34 PM | General
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Casey Mitchell scored 25 points and Kevin Jones added 22 to lead West Virginia to an 82-66 victory over VMI Saturday night at the Charleston Civic Center in Charleston, W.Va.
Mitchell made 10 of 17 field goal attempts, including two of West Virginia’s three 3-point field goals, while Jones added a season-high 22 points to go with six rebounds.
West Virginia (4-1) outscored VMI 48-20 in the paint and held the Keydets to just 33.8 percent from the floor for the game. VMI was 23 of 68 overall, including just 9 of 34 from 3.
“You try to play people who have contrasting styles so the next time someone plays like this it’s not the first time,” said West Virginia coach Bob Huggins of facing VMI’s up-and-down style of play.
The Mountaineers, without starting point guard Truck Bryant for tonight’s game, was bothered by VMI’s full-court pressure, particularly when Joe Mazzulla was forced to the bench after picking up his second foul. Jonnie West, and even walk-on Kenny Ross, were called on to help bring up the basketball in the first half.
“It was good for us,” said Huggins. “John Flowers had to advance the ball some for us. Dalton Pepper had to advance the ball for us; Jonnie advanced it for us a little bit. It was a good experience for those guys.”
At one point midway through the first half VMI led by three before West Virginia finally found its shooting stroke, going on a run at the end of the half to take an eight-point lead into the locker room.
“We’ve missed more layups in our first five games than we did in the three previous years,” said Huggins. “The difference in the first half today was Casey didn’t make shots. We didn’t run offense in Puerto Rico, it was just a matter of Casey making shots and keeping us in the game.”
Late in the second half West Virginia eventually built its lead to 17 with 2:05 remaining in the game.
“In the second half, at least three or four times we ran offense,” Huggins said. “We just didn’t run any offense, again, and I’d like to be able to explain why and I don’t know?
“We’re constantly playing against numbers because we never move the defense and we rebound the ball very poorly to a large degree because we never move the defense,” Huggins continued. “The people who rebound the ball, the people who really get isolations and who get back cuts move people and spread the floor. We haven’t done that yet, but we’re going to.”
Rodney Glasgow and Keith Gabriel scored 18 points each for VMI, now 5-1. Austin Kenon added 12 off the bench.
John Flowers scored 8 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds for West Virginia, which held a 46-38 advantage on the glass. Once again, freshman Kevin Noreen gave WVU a big boost off the bench, scoring 7 points and grabbing five rebounds in 14 minutes of action.
“Kevin didn’t play for three games and then we threw him into the Minnesota game and he responded, we threw him into this game and he responded,” said Huggins. “Kevin is going to earn playing time, which means some of those guys that don’t want to listen or don’t want to do right are going to lose playing time.”
West Virginia shot 47.7 percent overall and hit 17 of 22 from the free throw line – a marked improvement from its poor free throw shooting down in San Juan during the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.
A crowd of 12,367 attended tonight’s game.
West Virginia returns to the Coliseum next Wednesday night to face American at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on the Big East Network.
Mitchell made 10 of 17 field goal attempts, including two of West Virginia’s three 3-point field goals, while Jones added a season-high 22 points to go with six rebounds.
West Virginia (4-1) outscored VMI 48-20 in the paint and held the Keydets to just 33.8 percent from the floor for the game. VMI was 23 of 68 overall, including just 9 of 34 from 3.
“You try to play people who have contrasting styles so the next time someone plays like this it’s not the first time,” said West Virginia coach Bob Huggins of facing VMI’s up-and-down style of play.
The Mountaineers, without starting point guard Truck Bryant for tonight’s game, was bothered by VMI’s full-court pressure, particularly when Joe Mazzulla was forced to the bench after picking up his second foul. Jonnie West, and even walk-on Kenny Ross, were called on to help bring up the basketball in the first half.
“It was good for us,” said Huggins. “John Flowers had to advance the ball some for us. Dalton Pepper had to advance the ball for us; Jonnie advanced it for us a little bit. It was a good experience for those guys.”
At one point midway through the first half VMI led by three before West Virginia finally found its shooting stroke, going on a run at the end of the half to take an eight-point lead into the locker room.
“We’ve missed more layups in our first five games than we did in the three previous years,” said Huggins. “The difference in the first half today was Casey didn’t make shots. We didn’t run offense in Puerto Rico, it was just a matter of Casey making shots and keeping us in the game.”
Late in the second half West Virginia eventually built its lead to 17 with 2:05 remaining in the game.
“In the second half, at least three or four times we ran offense,” Huggins said. “We just didn’t run any offense, again, and I’d like to be able to explain why and I don’t know?
“We’re constantly playing against numbers because we never move the defense and we rebound the ball very poorly to a large degree because we never move the defense,” Huggins continued. “The people who rebound the ball, the people who really get isolations and who get back cuts move people and spread the floor. We haven’t done that yet, but we’re going to.”
Rodney Glasgow and Keith Gabriel scored 18 points each for VMI, now 5-1. Austin Kenon added 12 off the bench.
John Flowers scored 8 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds for West Virginia, which held a 46-38 advantage on the glass. Once again, freshman Kevin Noreen gave WVU a big boost off the bench, scoring 7 points and grabbing five rebounds in 14 minutes of action.
“Kevin didn’t play for three games and then we threw him into the Minnesota game and he responded, we threw him into this game and he responded,” said Huggins. “Kevin is going to earn playing time, which means some of those guys that don’t want to listen or don’t want to do right are going to lose playing time.”
West Virginia shot 47.7 percent overall and hit 17 of 22 from the free throw line – a marked improvement from its poor free throw shooting down in San Juan during the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.
A crowd of 12,367 attended tonight’s game.
West Virginia returns to the Coliseum next Wednesday night to face American at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on the Big East Network.
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