How WVU Found a Way: Ross Hodge’s Postgame Breakdown

The West Virginia Mountaineers (14-7, 5-3) outlasted the Kansas State Wildcats (10-11, 1-7) Tuesday night 59-54.

WVU senior guard Honor Huff lead all scorers with 17 points, while senior forwards Treysen Eaglestaff and Brenen Lorient chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Head coach Ross Hodge provided some insight on grinding out a win against the Wildcats, the Mountaineers’ slow start before finding some opportunities on offense, and slowing down one of the league’s top scorers, junior guard PJ Haggerty.

Opening Statement

“I want to just start out by thanking everybody who came out. A lot of work went into it (and I’m) thankful for the administration trying to do extra to get the students in there. Super thankful for all the people who plowed parking lots and sidewalks. A lot goes into just making it possible for people to get to this game. When you throw on the people that actually decided to come, just want to make sure that I personally in our program, just how much it means to us to have them come on a night like tonight and again, being a Texas boy, set it out there, like I may have. I may have watched this one on TV in my covers and blankets. That’s what makes this place special and makes this fanbase special. So just want to thank all of you.

“The game itself was a grind. I think I give a lot of credit to K-State. They did a good job of flipping our game on us a little bit. They controlled tempo. We couldn't get out in transition and get much easier. It was just kind of one of those games. It was just hard, man. You have to give them a lot of credit. They made it hard. But again, I thought our guys resolve and there was no panic, and just made enough plays down the stretch to find a way to win a Big 12 game when you didn't. You didn't necessarily play your best, but they had a lot to do with that.”

On the late first half run

“We were able to get (senior guard) Honor (Huff) free in that stretch. He was able to get free and made four threes, made a tough one at the end of the shot clock and we were able to get him freed up on some actions.

“I thought the end of the first half, not once we got the 10-point lead, but the end of the first half, not being able to really finish that half and letting them cut it back to six, and in the second half, when we pushed it back out to 10. We had kind of had some sloppy turnovers, and just wasn't able to extend the game when you had a chance to do it. Then, they make a couple threes, and you look up and you're in a two-point game, and you're in a dogfight.

“I thought our defense was pretty consistent for the most part, especially in the first half. We were really struggling offensively. But you look up and you're just down eight to two and then, you know, Honor made a couple big shots for us in that stretch.”

Holding Kansas State junior guard PJ Haggerty scoreless in the first half

“It's one of those things, you feel good about it, but then you're also a little nervous about it, because you're up only six. You've done a really good job on him. He's a great player that you're not going to be able to hold down for two halves. I thought (senior guard) Jasper (Floyd) did a great job on him. It's one thing that he's consistently done a good job on other teams, best player, and made them inefficient. That's what you want to do with a player of his caliber. You're never going to stop them. The biggest thing for us was not putting them on the foul line. I thought the discipline that our entire team showed Jasper, in particular, at the end of plays, to not swipe down, to not hack down on them. You really have to over exaggerate your hands, because he's so good at filling your body, and if he fills your body on you, you're fouling them. I thought we just did a good job of making them inefficient and keeping them off the foul line.”

Opening Statement

On the late first half run

Holding Kansas State junior guard PJ Haggerty scoreless in the first half

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