MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia looks to get back on the winning side of things when it plays host to Bellarmine Sunday evening in a 5 p.m. non-conference game that will be televised on ESPN+.
 
The Mountaineers (2-3) dropped a pair of games at the Fort Myers Tip-Off in Fort Myers, Florida, to SMU and Virginia. In its most recent game against the 24^th-ranked Cavaliers on Wednesday night, West Virginia overcame a double digit second-half deficit to lead Virginia by one with 1:55 left, but UVA won the game with two seconds left on free throws by Reece Beekman and Ryan Dunn.

"I thought for the most part we had a lot of positive moments," West Virginia coach Josh Eilert said. "Outside of a 10-15 minutes stretch against SMU, we played pretty good basketball considering the challenges we're facing. I've been happy with the way we are competing and the way we're handling these challenges. We've just got to figure out a way to get over the hump and be more disciplined down the stretch and take care of the ball a little better."
 
Center Jesse Edwards and forward Quinn Slazinski paced the Mountaineers with 17 points each. Slazinski leads the undermanned Mountaineers with a scoring average of 16.4 points per game. Edwards is averaging 15.6 points and 10 rebounds, while guard Kobe Johnson is chipping in with 10.4 points per game.
 
With forward RaQuan Battle's NCAA transfer appeal waiver denied, forward Akok Akok's medical status sill in limbo and Kerr Kriisa's suspension ending after the Drexel game on Dec. 9, West Virginia is playing with basically seven players.
 
The Mountaineers used a starting lineup against Virginia consisting of Johnson and freshman Ofri Naveh at guards, Slazinski and sophomore Josiah Harris at forwards, and Edwards at center.
 
Wilson and junior forward Patrick Suemnick have been the two players coming off the bench. Freshman Jeremiah Bembry, a Florida State transfer, has appeared in three games but did not see action in Fort Myers because of an injury.
 
Bellarmine (2-4) has played a very difficult early season schedule with games at Washington, Kansas State, Tennessee-Chattanooga and Bowling Green, and home games against Morehead State.
 
The Knights topped the Falcons 85-67 on the road, and most recently, routed Midway 77-56 last Tuesday night. 
 
Ben Johnson, a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard, scored a team-high 18 points and is averaging 13.4 points per game to lead the Knights. Peter Suder, a 6-foot-5 guard, contributed 15 and is averaging 10.5 points per game.

"Bellarmine has a group that they all can shoot it," Eilert said. "They all take care of the ball. They move the ball, they're efficient and they keep it moving. Very rarely do you ever see a ballscreen but they really play well together."
 
Junior Langdon Hatton, a 6-foot-10 forward, pulled down nine rebounds against Midway and is averaging 4.5 points and 4.8 boards per game.
 
Bellarmine will be making its second appearance at the Coliseum on Sunday. The Atlantic Sun Conference members dropped a 74-55 decision to West Virginia on Nov. 30, 2021.
 
Sunday's game marks the beginning of a four-game homestand that includes former Big East rivals St. John's, Pitt and concluding with Drexel.

"We've got to take advantage of this homestretch with these next four games at home," Eilert said.
 
The ESPN+ crew working Sunday's game will be Andrew Caridi, Warren Baker and Angelica Trinone. Mountaineer Sports Network radio coverage with Tony Caridi begins at 4 p.m. with the Coca-Cola Mountaineer Pregame Show on stations throughout West Virginia and online via WVUsports.com and the Varsity Network and WVU Gameday apps.
 
Tickets are still available and can be purchased by logging on to WVUGAME.com.