Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Pirates Sink Mountaineers
The Mountaineers lost their second Big East game in a five-day span, as WVU fell to Seton Hall, 71-64, Tuesday night at the Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey's Meadowlands.
West Virginia has lost on its last four trips into Continental Airlines Arena, and it has fall on six of the past eight trips.
WVU ends its three-game road swing with an 18-6 overall record and a 9-2 league mark. The Mountaineers fell to Pitt last Thursday but then bounced back with a victory at Georgetown before dropping the seven-point decision to Seton Hall.
Seton Hall controlled the tempo and the lead for much of the first half. The Pirates jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the opening two minutes, but after Jo Herber three and a Mike Gansey layup, West Virginia was on top 5-4 at the 17:00 mark. The two combatants battled back and forth for the next 11 minutes. There were 11 lead changes and six ties during that stretch, as neither club could forge a lead of more than three. But then the Hall ran off on an 8-2 spurt, leading to a 33-26 advantage, and it took a six-point edge, 37-31, into the half.
On Sunday in WVU's victory at Georgetown, the Mountaineers' erased a six-point Hoya halftime lead with a strong run at the start of the second half. But Tuesday in East Rutherford, it was Seton Hall which came out of the lockerroom with a strong effort. The Pirates quickly extended their lead to 44-31, and West Virginia was fighting in uphill battle the rest of the game. WVU kept battling and got to within six at a couple of junctures, but it could never make the shot on the offensive end or get the stop on the defensive end which would have allowed it to reel the Pirates completely in.
The Mountaineers struggled to find their shooting touch, hitting only eight of 32 three-point attempts. On the other hand, Seton Hall converted 49 percent of its field goal attempts. The Pirates also turned the ball only seven times.
Kevin Pittsnogle led West Virginia's offensive effort, pumping in 24 points, to go along with six rebounds and four blocked shots. Mike Gansey added 14 points and nine rebounds, while Jo Herber checked in with 10 points. Kelly Whitney topped the Pirates with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
West Virginia has lost on its last four trips into Continental Airlines Arena, and it has fall on six of the past eight trips.
WVU ends its three-game road swing with an 18-6 overall record and a 9-2 league mark. The Mountaineers fell to Pitt last Thursday but then bounced back with a victory at Georgetown before dropping the seven-point decision to Seton Hall.
Seton Hall controlled the tempo and the lead for much of the first half. The Pirates jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the opening two minutes, but after Jo Herber three and a Mike Gansey layup, West Virginia was on top 5-4 at the 17:00 mark. The two combatants battled back and forth for the next 11 minutes. There were 11 lead changes and six ties during that stretch, as neither club could forge a lead of more than three. But then the Hall ran off on an 8-2 spurt, leading to a 33-26 advantage, and it took a six-point edge, 37-31, into the half.
On Sunday in WVU's victory at Georgetown, the Mountaineers' erased a six-point Hoya halftime lead with a strong run at the start of the second half. But Tuesday in East Rutherford, it was Seton Hall which came out of the lockerroom with a strong effort. The Pirates quickly extended their lead to 44-31, and West Virginia was fighting in uphill battle the rest of the game. WVU kept battling and got to within six at a couple of junctures, but it could never make the shot on the offensive end or get the stop on the defensive end which would have allowed it to reel the Pirates completely in.
The Mountaineers struggled to find their shooting touch, hitting only eight of 32 three-point attempts. On the other hand, Seton Hall converted 49 percent of its field goal attempts. The Pirates also turned the ball only seven times.
Kevin Pittsnogle led West Virginia's offensive effort, pumping in 24 points, to go along with six rebounds and four blocked shots. Mike Gansey added 14 points and nine rebounds, while Jo Herber checked in with 10 points. Kelly Whitney topped the Pirates with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
