West Virginia vs. Utah Preview & Game Thread

The West Virginia Mountaineers host the Utah Utes Wednesday night at Hope Coliseum. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. EST and the action will be televised on FS1.

West Virginia is coming off an impressive road win against UCF after trailing by as many as 14 points in the second half. Senior guard Honor Huff paced the Mountaineers with 21 points and ignited the comeback with 18 second half points. Senior point guard Jasper Floyd found his space and was aggressive on both ends of the floor with 17 points, five rebounds, three assists, and a pair of steals, while senior forward Brenen Lorient continues his steady play for the Mountaineers, finishing with 11 points and eight rebounds.

Huff is averaging a team-best 15.6 points per game, Lorient is second on the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game, Floyd is averaging 7.2 ppg and a team-high 3.0 assists per game, and center Harlan Obioha leads the team in rebounding at 5.2 rebounds per game.

Utah arrives to Morgantown on a seven-game losing streak. Although the Utes have an abysmal 11-1 Big 12 record, they have played teams tough within the league.

Terrance Brown is fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 20.4 ppg, while also leading the team in assists at 3.8 per game. However, the junior guard’s production has dipped in February, averaging 11.3 points the last four games.

Senior guard Don McHenry is averaging 17.4 ppg and junior forward Keanu Dawes rounds out the trio of Utes averaging double figures with 12.8 ppg to go with 9.3 rpg.

Utah leads the all-time series 6-2.

GAME THREAD

U16 Timeout: Utah has jumped out to an early lead 13-3. McHenry paces the Utes with five points.

U12 Timeout: Utah is cruising 18-3. West Virginia is 1-9 from the field, including 1-7 from three-point range, while Utah is 8-14, 1-4.

U8 Timeout: Utah still holds a commaning lead, 21-8. McHeny and junior forward Seydou Traore lead all scorers with seven points apiece.

U4 Timeout: The Utes remain in conrol with a 26-16 advantage. West Virginia is 5-20 from the floor and 2-11 from three.

HALFTIME: Utah takes a 10-point lead into the break, 31-21. Traore leads all scorers with 10 points. Huff leads the Mountaineers with six points behind a pair of threes. West Virginia shot 30.4% (7-23) from the field, including 2-12 from behind the arc in the first half, while Utah was 41.4% (12-29) from the floor and 37.5% (3-8) from three.

U16 Timeout: McHenry and Traore both have hit corner threes to extend the lead back to fifteen, 41-26, forcing a frustrated Hodge to take a timeout.

U12 Timeout: Utah extended its lead back to 15, but WVU is on a 6-0 spurt and has captured the momentum, leading to a Utes timeout.

U8 Timeout: West Virginia has cut the deficit to five. The officals give the Utes a free timeout after a sideline warning. Lorient and senior forward Chance Moore both have eight second half points.

U4 Timeout: The Mountaineers down two, 53-51, heading down the final stretch. All of Lorients 10 points on the night have come in the second half.

FINAL: Utah 61, West Virginia 56

GAME THREAD

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