Tuesday night was another tough outing for West Virginia, marking their third consecutive loss in crucial games needed to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive. The Mountaineers had a real shot at turning things around, especially if you consider their struggles at the free throw line.
Ross Hodge's squad managed only 50% from the stripe during regulation, in a game that extended into overtime. A win against Oklahoma State would have been a borderline Quad One victory (with Oklahoma State ranked 82nd before the game and 80th after, just shy of the Quad One cutoff at 75th).
This isn't a new issue for West Virginia. Their free throw woes have likely cost them four potential Quad One wins this season.
Three are clear-cut: losses at neutral sites to Clemson and Ohio State, and a home defeat by Texas Tech. Oklahoma State might be the fourth, currently classified as a Quad Two.
Even focusing on the first three, these missed opportunities would have positioned WVU among just twelve teams with that many Quad One wins, not only securing a spot in the NCAA Tournament but also boosting their seed line significantly.
In the nail-biter against Clemson, the Mountaineers fell by three points, missing seven free throws. Their overtime battle with Ohio State saw them lose by a single point, with eight missed free throws. And in the home clash with Texas Tech, a seven-point loss was marred by ten missed free throws.
The pattern is clear: free throws have been a thorn in West Virginia's side, potentially altering the trajectory of their season. If they can tighten up at the line, their fortunes might just change.