Bleed Gold And Blue

Archive for the ‘Basketball (M)’ Category

Join the Bleed Gold and Blue.com bracketology challenge on CBSSports.com. Competition begins March 18th.

Join Here!
Password: WVU

What more can you ask for than to beat a top 10 team to end the regular season. This win was huge for the Mountaineers as it gives them incredible and much needed momentum heading in to the Big East Tournament.

West Virginia once again found a way to overcome yet another first half nightmare after scoring a season low 16 points in the half. Da’Sean Butler was once again the hero as he was able to dribble through the Wildcats defense and scoring a a 2-point runner with 5.8 seconds left to play, leading West Virginia to a 68-66 overtime win. The Mountaineers first half shooting woes consisted of 2 of 12 from the behind the arc, 2 for 10 from the free throw line and 6 for 25 from the field, accumulating a dreadful 24% from the field. Was it the Mountaineers second half defensive change that triggered West Virginia’s second half burst? Or perhaps was it Bob Huggins unusual halftime speech?

It was a combination of the two, but more so the 1-3-1 defensive switch which has been most effective. The second half adjustment seemed to do its job as Villanova (24-6, 13-5 Big East) could not get through the passing lanes. Bob Huggins, on the other hand, did not take his normal halftime routine of yelling but yet was calmer than anyone can recall. The combination of the two seemed to have worked and got the job done.

Leading West Virginia (24-6, 13-5 Big East) was led by Da’Sean Butler who finished his last regular season game with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

The #8 Mountaineers took on #20 Georgetown Monday night in Morgantown. Not only was this an important game for conference standings; it was also Senior Night. The three seniors, Da’Sean Butler, Wellington Smith, and Cam Payne played their last game in the Coliseum and came out with a W, 81-68. Top performers were: Da’Sean Butler (22 Pts, 6 Assists, 6 Reb), Devin Ebanks (15 Pts, 5 Reb), and Kevin Jones (14 Pts, 6 Reb).
Read the rest of this entry »

Hopes for a recovery from the recent game against UCONN came true Saturday in Morgantown. The Mountaineers found themselves chasing Cincinnati for the majority of the game but again came out on top with a score of 74-68. Notable performers were: Kevin Jones (15 Pts, 2 Reb), Darryl Bryant (14 Pts, 4 Assists), and Devin Ebanks (12 Pts, 10 Reb). A great performance from Cam Thoroughman (7 Pts, 2 Reb) also helped lead the Mountaineers to victory. The Mountaineers shot 78% from the free throw line, showing improvement from a recent slump in that area.
The Mountaineers face Georgetown in the Coliseum Monday at 7:00 PM. They then travel to the Pavilion Saturday for a rematch against Villanova-the final game of the regular season.

The #6 Mountaineers took on Pitt in Morgantown Wednesday night. The Mountaineers never trailed and came out the 19 point victor of yet another hard fought rivalry game. Top WVU performers were: DaSean Butler (18 Pts, 5 Reb), Kevin Jones (16 Pts, 6 Reb), and Devin Ebanks (7 Pts, 16 Reb). The Mountaineers also saw the debut of Freshman center Deniz Kilicli, a stand-out prospect who sat out the preceding 20 games of the season due to NCAA regulations for playing on a team that included a professional player. He contributed 9 points to the West Virginia victory and seemed to be an instant fan favorite. Read the rest of this entry »

West Virginia was able to end their four-game losing streak against the Louisville Cardinals with a score of 77-74, in a game full of runs. Both teams were able to push their once holding leads to double digits, but never managed to hang on to it.

West Virginia managed to come out the gates firing and scorching on Louisville’s defense scoring the first 13 points, which was the largest lead of the game. The Cardinals (13-8, 4-4 Big East) was able to maintain the Mountaineer’s first half rally by knocking down seven three-pointers. Peyton Siva accounted for three of the seven made.
Read the rest of this entry »