West Virginia Rallies To Take Down North Texas
Mountaineers Shoot 59% From Field in Second Half
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MORGANTOWN -- No amount of piped-in crowd noise could accurately capture the environment of a game day at the WVU Coliseum.
It could not replace the roar of attendees following a big 3-pointer or a crucial defensive stop but, along with squeaking shoes, coach chatter and a bouncing basketball, things felt somewhat normal on Friday. Even if just for an afternoon.
Plagued by a slow start, a strong second-half run ultimately lifted the West Virginia men's basketball team to a 62-50 win over North Texas at the Coliseum.
The late push was much needed as West Virginia (5-1) opened the game appearing sluggish and struggling on both ends of the floor, ultimately entering halftime facing a 29-21 deficit.
In the first half, guard Sean McNeil was one of the only signs of life for the Mountaineers offensively. He finished the half with seven points, and was the only starter to make more than one basket. The starting five ended the first half having gone only 21% from the field, with the team converting only a quarter of their shots.
McNeil finished the game with a team-high 15 points.
"We need people to be more consistent," WVU head coach Bob Huggins said.
"When you're open, you should have a great chance to make the shot. We haven't, so that's been a problem. We make shots in shooting drills. They're in the practice facility on their own, working on their game. The ball hasn't gone in for whatever reason."
On the flipside, North Texas' offense shined, knocking down nearly 60% of their attempts from the field. However, both teams seemed to have turned things around 180 degrees after halftime, for better or worse.
WVU forward Derek Culver scored all 10 of his points after the break and, along with Taz Sherman scoring 11 of his 13 points, the Mountaineers shot 59% from the field in the second half.
North Texas, on the other hand, couldn't find the bottom of the net until seven minutes into the second half. The Mean Green shot an abysmal 18% from the field in the second half, losing their lead and making any chance of a comeback impossible.
The result was a significant positive after West Virginia was forced to prepare for North Texas on short notice. The Mean Green were a replacement opponent after Robert Morris dropped out of Wednesday's scheduled home opener, forcing the Mountaineers to pivot quickly.
The Mountaineers haven't slowed, but the rigors of confusion have taken their toll over the season's first few games.
"It's been a long few weeks. It's so hard. We're playing, we're not playing. We're playing this team -- no, we're not, we're going to play this other team," Huggins said. "We practiced getting ready for Robert Morris, and then Robert Morris can't play. We wanted to play (Thursday) instead of (Friday) to give us a couple days before we play on Sunday, and we couldn't do that. It hasn't been easy, but it's better than not playing at all."
West Virginia will face a quick turnaround, returning to the hardwood on Sunday to host No. 19 Richmond -- WVU's second ranked opponent this season. Tipoff will come at 1 p.m. from Morgantown, and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN.