In a tough night at Hope Coliseum, West Virginia found itself unable to overcome an early deficit, falling 61-56 to Utah. The Utes came out firing, hitting their first six shots and quickly establishing an 18-3 lead, a cushion they never relinquished. This victory snapped Utah's 15-game road losing streak and marked only their second Big 12 win this season.
West Virginia's coach, Ross Hodge, took responsibility for the sluggish start, emphasizing the importance of being game-ready. "It's on me," Hodge admitted. "We just weren't prepared, and it showed in the way we were out-rebounded and struggled defensively."
Despite their recent knack for comebacks, the Mountaineers couldn't quite complete the rally this time. They clawed back from a 15-point deficit to trail by just two, thanks to Treysen Eaglestaff's crucial basket with under four minutes to play. However, former Mountaineer James Okonkwo's key offensive rebounds set up Terrance Brown's pivotal score, extending Utah's lead.
West Virginia's shooting woes were glaring, missing 18 of 23 from beyond the arc and shooting a mere 46.7% from the free-throw line. Critical misses near the basket further hampered their efforts, burning precious time off the clock.
With 33 seconds left, a deep three from Huff brought West Virginia within striking distance. But Utah's Seydou Traore deflected Huff's next attempt, leading to crucial free throws from Brown that sealed the game.
Traore led Utah with 17 points, while Brown and Don Mchenry added 16 each. Utah's dominance on the boards, out-rebounding the Mountaineers 38-28 and doubling their free throw attempts, proved decisive.
For West Virginia, Huff and Chance Moore each scored 12 points. The Mountaineers, now 16-10 overall and 7-6 in the Big 12, will look to bounce back as they head to TCU for a Saturday evening matchup, set to air on Peacock and NBC Sports Network.