Cover Photo: WVU Athletics
West Virginia knocked off No. 11 Iowa State 76-71. This makes the fifth game in the last seven games where the Mountaineers took the victory. The game was absolutely filled with fouls with a combined 49 fouls between the two teams. ISU’s Osun Osunniyi, Rob Jones and Tamin Lipsey fouled out for the Cyclones while Erik Stevenson fouled out for the Mountaineers.
WVU has needed a big game from Emmitt Matthews and the fifth-year senior answered the call. Matthews had a season-high of 20 points. Matthews connected on a crucial and-one opportunity mid-way through the second half. WVU G Kedrian Johnson joined Matthews with a great performance. Johnson finished with a season high of his own with 22 points. The 6-foot-3 guard also had six assists.
Stevenson has been on a roll in the last couple of weeks. In his last four games, Stevenson is averaging 24.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists on 46 percent shooting from the field and 44 percent from three. Stevenson has led West Virginia to a 3-1 record in those four games and back into the tournament hunt. Stevenson was helped to the locker room towards the end of the first half after getting hit in the head by Iowa State’s Gabe Kalscheur, but returned to the bench before the end of the first half. Stevenson fouled out of the game with two minutes to play. Stevenson had eight points on 1-of-6 shooting.
West Virginia struggled with guarding the paint, once again, on Wednesday. Cyclones scored 28 points in the paint. WVU F Tre Mitchell struggled last Saturday against Oklahoma, recording just four points on four shots. The Texas transfer didn’t hold back against Iowa State, hitting 3-three’s out of the gate in the first half. Mitchell slowed down by the second frame. Sophomores Seth Wilson and James Okonkwo came right off the bench in the first half giving quality production. Wilson nailed a three-pointer to give WVU an early nine-point lead. Okonkwo gave Iowa State problems in the paint, recording nine rebounds and three blocks.
