West Virginia at UCF Preview & Game Thread

The West Virginia Mountaineers (15-9, 6-5) travels to the sunny State of Florida to take on the UCF Knights (17-6, 6-5) Saturday evening at Addition Financial Arena. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. EST and the action will be televised on FS1.

West Virgnia and UCF had their bye week this week after both programs fell on Sunday. The Mountaineers are 2-2 in the last four games and an offense navigating the Big 12 has found itself in choppy waters. WVU is in the bottom of the league in offense during conference action, ranking dead last in points per game (62.6) and 14th in field goal percentage (43.2). Defensively, the Mountaineers are near the top, highlighted by their scoring defense, sitting eighth nationally, allowing 63.6 ppg.

Honor Huff is averaging a team-high 15.4 ppg. The senior guard has missed double figures in two of the last three contests, combining for 27 points during that span. Brenen Lorient is second on the team in scoring (11.7 ppg) and rebounding (5.0 rpg). The senior forward posted his best Big 12 performance of the season against Texas Tech last weekend with 21 points. Senior guard Treysen Eaglestaff rounds out the trio of Mountaineers averaging double figures with 10.0 ppg and a career-high 4.7 rpg.

UCF is in danger of its first losing streak of the season after suffering consecutive losses on the road at Houston and Cincinnati. The Knights are in the middle of the pack on both ends of the floor.

Four Knights are averaging double figures, led by senior guard Riley Kugel. The Mississippi State transfer is averaging a career-high 14.3 ppg. Milwaukee senior guard transfer Themus Fulks leads the team with 6.8 assists per game while sitting second on the team in scoring at 13.3 ppg. Georgetown junior forward transfer Jordan Burks averages 12.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, while Milwauke senior forward transfer Jamichael Stillwell leads the team in rebounding at 8.0 rpg to go with 12.3 ppg.

West Virginia leads the all-time series 3-1.

GAME THREAD

U16 Timoeut: West Virginia leads early 7-5. Senior guard Jasper Floyd has four points and Huff tickled the nets with his first three of the evening.

U12 Timeout: The game is tied at 10. Floyd and UCF junior guard Chris Johnson lead all scores with five points.

U8 Timeout: WVU holds a 18-15 advantage. The Mountaineers are holding UCF to 33.3% (6-18) from the field, including 2-8 from three-point range.

U4 Timeout: WVU forward Chance Moore has got into the action and paces the Mountaineers with six points, while UCF seven-footer, sophomore center Jon Bol has six points.

HALFTIME: UCF has the edgle 29-28. Moor and Burks leads all scorers with eight points apiece. Both teams are struggling from the field with WVU shooting 36.1% (13-36) while UCF is 37.0% (10-27) from the field.

U16 Timeout: UCF started the secon half on an 8-0 run, Floyd ended it with a three and Moore followed with a drive to the basket, but the Knights answered with a 6-0 spurt for their largest lead of the night, 45-35.

U12 Timeout: The Knights stretched their lead to 14 and continue to maintain the advantage, 51-38. WVU has four turnovers in the second half.

U8 Timeout: West Virginia is currently on a 13-2 run and have cut the deficit to three and has the ball out of the break. Lorient has nine second half points.

U4 Timeout: UCF leads 60-59 and will have a pair of free throws coming out of the break.

Timeout UCF: Huff gives the Mountaineers the lead from the free throw line and Jasper follows with a three to give WVU a 66-62 lead with a 1:38 remaining in the game.

FINAL: West Virginia 74, UCF 67

GAME THREAD

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