WVU Overcomes Rocky Start to Beat Mercer, Move to 3-0

MORGANTOWN, WV — The first two games of the season didn't provide West Virginia with much of a challenge. Tonight's game against Mercer wasn't expected to be much of a contest either, but the Bears hung around for much of the night before ultimately falling to the Mountaineers, 75-61.

It was as sloppy as they come in the first half for both teams, and each had different excuses, not that either head coach would use them.

Mercer just played two nights ago against a high-paced team in Georgia Southern — a game that went to overtime — so they certainly had tired legs, missing a bunch of shots in the early going, most of which clanked off the front of the iron. They turned the ball over on each of the first three possessions and followed that up with a 0/6 start from the field.

The Mountaineers, who hadn't played a game in nearly a week, looked like a rusty bunch. The offense was out of whack, with zero flow to it whatsoever, and because they weren't doing a good job on the defensive glass, they couldn't get out in transition and out-athlete the Bears. West Virginia got ice cold on the offensive end, missing 13 of their final 15 shots before the break. Finley Bizjack drilled a three-ball to give WVU a slim 31-28 edge.

Miles Sadler and his buddies Finley Bizjack and Brenen Lorient helped spark a strong start to the second half, opening on an 8-2 run. That run would be extended to 12-4 after the timeout by the Bears and while WVU never really put the game away, they were able to keep a firm grasp of a double-digit lead.

Despite the more efficient product in the final 20 minutes, it was still pretty clunky. The ball didn't move as quickly as it did in the first two games, and there was too much iso work with whoever had the ball. Combine

Stat of the Night: 15 Offensive Rebounds Allowed

Niagara and Stetson combined for just 11 offensive rebounds against WVU, but tonight, Mercer had a strong outing, grabbing 15 off the offensive glass. The lack of physicality and focus on West Virginia's side was evident, and if that carries into next week's game against Auburn, it will be a long night/morning.

Up Next:

The Mountaineers will have the next few days to prepare for the challenging three-day slate in the Players Era Tournament in Las Vegas, where they will open up play against Auburn at 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning.

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