WVU Squares off Against Oklahoma State to Wrap up Road Trip

West Virginia looks to bounce back against Oklahoma State after a tough loss at Kansas State

The West Virginia Mountaineers (10-3, 0-1) will wrap up their two-game road trip against the Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-5, 0-1) Monday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST and will air on ESPNU.

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Both squads dropped their Big 12 opener on the road. Oklahoma State lost in a controversial two-point decision at Kansas 69-67, while West Virginia fell in overtime to Kansas State 82-76.

Oklahoma State led Kansas by 15 at the break but Jayhawks cut the deficit to five in just over five minutes before taking a 52-50 lead near the midway point of the second half.

The Cowboys shot 28.0% (7-25) in the second half that opened the door for the Jayhawks for the comeback, but OSU only trailed two with under a second remaining. The Cowboys had the ball out of bounds underneath their own basket when guard Bryce Thompson broke open under the basket and looked to have an easy lay-in until Kansas guard Kevin McCullar jumped over his back and blocked the shot out of bounds on what clearly looked to be a foul, but the officials did not see it that way, and the Jayhawks escaped defeat.

Oklahoma State guard Bryce Thompson (1) passes the ball in the second half during a college basketball game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) and the Southern Illinois Salukis at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022.

NATHAN J FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Oklahoma State picked up a quality win in early December over Sam Houston and, in addition to the loss to Kansas, the Cowboys were competitive in their losses to UConn (74-64) and Virginia Tech (70-65).

Guard Bryce Thompson (6’6”, 197-lbs) is averaging a team-best 12.4 points per game behind a team-high 40.9% from three-point range and the junior tied a career-high 23 points versus Kansas on Saturday. The junior put up 13 points against the Mountaineers last season in the Cowboys 81-58 win.

Preseason All-Big 12 selection Avery Anderson III (6’3”, 158-lbs) is dishing a team-leading 3.2 assists per game and his 2.2 steals per game ranks fifth in the conference while scoring at 11.4 ppg – ranks second on the team. The senior guard is averaging 17.8 ppg versus West Virginia, including a 31-point performance as a sophomore in the season finale two years ago.

NATHAN J FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Junior forward Moussa Cisse was tabbed for Big 12 Preseason Honorable Mention after averaging 7.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, including five double doubles last season. He stands with five double doubles on the year, averaging 8.2 points and a team-high 10.5 rpg.

High Point transfer guard John-Michael Wright (6’1”, 190-lbs) is averaging 10.0 ppg and is coming off a season-high 19 points against Kansas.

West Virginia squandered an 11-point halftime lead against Kansas State on Saturday. The Mountaineers committed 20 turnovers on the night and shot an abysmal 20-38 from the free throw line to ensure an 82-76 overtime loss to the Wildcats.

West Virginia’s veteran transfer guards, Joe Toussaint, Erik Stevenson and Kedrian Johnson combined to shoot 6-25 from the floor, including 2-8 from three-point range.

Head coach Bob Huggins voiced his displeasure following the game. The Hall of Famer has noted the team’s turnover concerns all season.

Stevenson is averaging a team-leading 13.9 ppg while forward Tre Mitchell is second on the team in scoring (13.1 ppg) and rebounding (5.3). Forward Emmitt Matthews Jr. returned to the lineup after missing two games heading into the Big 12 Conference slate with 12 points and five rebounds and is third on the team in scoring at 10.9 ppg and Toussaint rounds off the Mountaineers averaging double figures with 10.1 ppg.

West Virginia is 11-11 all-time versus Oklahoma State. The Mountaineers have dropped three of the last four meetings against the Cowboys. 

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