WVU Cruises to Victory Over Radford Saturday at the Coliseum

Saturday, December 4

Morgantown, W.Va.

4:00 p.m.

West Virginia University

7-1,0-0Big 12

Radford

4-5,0-0Big South

Radford

West Virginia

Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks

Head coaches Bob Huggins and Darris Nichols shake hands after the game.

Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks

WVU Cruises to Victory Over Radford Saturday at the Coliseum

December 04, 2021 06:32 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Bob Huggins Postgame Game Photos WVU-Radford Box Score

By: John Antonik

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia continued its winning ways with a 67-51 victory over Radford Saturday afternoon at the WVU Coliseum.

The Highlanders, coached by former West Virginia player Darris Nichols, trailed by 18 at halftime and by 27 early in the second half.

Once the lead swelled to more than 20, West Virginia (7-1) substituted freely in the second half and the game soon turned sloppy. Radford actually outscored West Virginia 27 to 25 over the final 15 minutes of the game.

"We got very selfish at the end," remarked an unimpressed West Virginia coach Bob Huggins afterward. "I've tried to explain to them there is a thing called the NET where scores matter and we hurt ourselves today."

Everybody available to play saw court time, including true freshmen James Okonkwo, who scored his first collegiate points on a two-handed slam on a pass from Gabe Osabuohien.

Huggins said the decision to play Okonkwo was made after discussing it with James and his family.

"He wants to play and my concern was it being in his best interests," Huggins said. "And as you can see, he's got ability. We need to start working with him because he can rebound it and I think he can score it close."

Huggins also complimented the development of 6-foot-10 sophomore forward Seny N'diaye, who also got some seven minutes of action today and grabbed four rebounds.

"Seny has gotten significantly better because he puts the time in," Huggins said.

Guard Taz Sherman scored 21 points in the first half and finished with a game-high 27, one point shy of his career high. He was the only Mountaineer to reach double figures.

"We took horrible shots," Huggins said. "We forced shots and we didn't run offense."

Starting guard Sean McNeil was a late scratch with a lower back injury and watched the game from the bench in street clothes. Freshman Kobe Johnson replaced McNeil in the starting lineup.

Radford, which saw its three-game winning streak end, drops to 4-5.

Nichols is only the second Mountaineer alum to coach an opposing team in the Coliseum. Fred Schaus was the first in 1975 when he coached at Purdue.

Taz Sherman

History was also made when Amy Bonner became the first female to officiate a men's game in the 51-year history of the Coliseum.

The Highlanders shot 40% for the game and committed 20 turnovers, which turned into 31 points for the Mountaineers.

West Virginia held a 33 to 31 edge in rebounding, the second straight game the Mountaineers out-boarded their opponent.

West Virginia will its five-game homestand with games on Wednesday night against 17^th-ranked Connecticut, which improved to 7-1 with an 88-59 victory earlier today against Grambling, and then Kent State on Sunday.

The Huskies are without two of their best players – center Adama Sanogo, with an abdominal injury and guard Tyrese Martin, with a sprained wrist.

"On Wednesday you're going to see some athletes, now," Huggins said of the 8-1 Huskies. "They have athletes and they are as athletic a bunch as we've played in quite a while so obviously we're going to try and figure something out here."

The game will be part of the annual Big 12-Big East Challenge and it will be UConn's first trip to the Coliseum since March 2, 2011, when the two were members of the Big East.

Tickets are on sale and can be purchased by logging on to WVUGAME.com.