West Virginia vs. Xavier Preview & Game Thread

The West Virginia meets the Xavier in the consolation game of the Charleston Classic Sunday afternoon. Tip-off is set for approximately 3:30 p.m. EST and the action will be televised on ESPN.

After two years at North Texas, West Virginia head coach Ross Hodge guided the Mountaineers to a 5-0 record to begin the season, the best start for a WVU coach in his first season since Fred Schaus started 5-0 in 1954.

The Mountaineers (5-1) dropped their first game of the season on Friday in the opening game of the Charleston Classic against Clemson 70-67. West Virginia built an 11-point second half lead, but defensive lapses led to a Tiger comeback, allowing 56% shooting from the field, including 5-9 from three and were outscored 24-11 in the final eight minutes.

Senior forward and St. Bonaventure transfer Chance Moore made his WVU debut with a 16-point effort, while leading scorer, senior guard and Tennessee at Chattanooga transfer, Honor Huff (17.2 ppg) continued to be dangerous from behind the arc, burying a trio of threes for a game-high 17 points.

Senior forward Brenen Lorient leads the team in rebounding with an average of seven rebounds per game. The North Texas transfer is third on the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game, while fellow North Texas transfer Jasper Floyd is averaging a team-high 4.2 assists per game while producing 10.5 ppg.

Xavier tabbed Rick Pitino as the 21st head coach in program history after Sean Miller departed for Texas in the offseason. Pitino spent the last four seasons at New Mexico, following an eight-year tenure at Minnesota. He holds a career winning percentage of .569 (250-189).

The Musketeers (3-3) have been off to an inauspicious start to the season after falling to a Santa Clara program that has been steam rolling its opponents to a 5-0 record and were hammered at Iowa before a heartbreaking loss to an undefeated Georgia team on Friday.

Senior forward Tre Carrol leads the team in scoring at 15.7 ppg. The FAU transfer, along with New Mexico transfer Jovan Milicevic, scored a game-high 19 points.

Milicevic’s 12.5 ppg is good enough for third on the team in scoring. The sophomore is tied with sophomore guard, and Valparaiso transfer, All Wright with 14 threes made this season.

Wright leads the team in three-point percentage at 50% is rounds out the four Musketeers averaging double figures with 10.7 ppg.

Senior guard transfer Roddie Anderson (UC San Diego, Boise State) is averaging 13 ppg, ranking second on the team in scoring.

Senior forward, and Montana transfer, Malik Messina-Moore is averaging a team-best four assists, and New Mexico transfer, Filip Borovicanin averages a team-high 6.5 rpg.

Game Thread

U16 Timeout: Five Mountaineers have scored and as a team, shooting 6-9 from the field, including 2-4 from three for a 14-8 WVU lead.

U12 Timeout: WVU has been held with a field goal for over three and a half minutes but still lead 14-11.

U8 Timeout: The Mountaineers regianed their eight-point lead, but Xavier is currently on a 6-0 spurt to pull within two, 23-21. WVU forward Brenen Lorient leads all scorers with eight points.

U4 Timeout: Xavier has seven threes, four from forward Tre Carroll to pull ahead 29-28.

HALFTIME: West Virginia hit one of its last 11 field goals and are on four-minute scoring drought, while Xavier shot 8-13 from behind the arc to build a 36-28 lead. Carrol leads all scores with 12 points. Lorient has eight points and guard Treysen Eaglestaff has seven to lead the Mountaineers. After starting 6-8 from the field, WVU finished the half 12-32 from the floor.

U16 Timeout: Xavier remains hot, but West Virginia has come out firing and has cut the Musketeer lead to three, 44-41. Eaglestaff continues to stay aggressive with a couple of second half buckets for a team-high 11 points.

U12 Timeout: The Musketeers built their largest lead of 10, but Honor Huff answers with a three to keep WVU in the game. Xavier leads 53-46.

Timeout: WVU calls a timeout, following a three from Lorient with 8:15 remaining in the secon half. Xavier is 5-7 from three in the second half. Sophomore forward Jovan Milićević has three threes in the second half and leads all scorers with 19 points. Xavier leads 63-55.

U4 Timeout: Xavier is 8-12 from three-point range after senior forward Filip Borovićanin banks in a three from three left wing for a 72-63 lead. The Musketeers have a season-high 16 made threes.

Final: Xavier 78, West Virginia 68

Game Thread

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