Three Takeaways From West Virginia's Loss to No. 6 Houston

Rapid reactions to West Virginia's loss to Houston.
Jan 29, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers forward Amani Hansberry (13) steals a pass during the second half against the Houston Cougars at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images
Jan 29, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers forward Amani Hansberry (13) steals a pass during the second half against the Houston Cougars at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images / Ben Queen-Imagn Images

The West Virginia Mountaineers found themselves down big at the half but battled back to make it a game against No. 6 Houston before running out of gas late. Houston finished strong, winning the game 63-49.

Here are a few takeaways from tonight's game.

Poor three-point shooting continues

West Virginia had several open looks from deep but also forced a handful of attempts, leading to a 4/18 night from beyond the arc. WVU is now a combined 12/68 in their last three games from three-point range. Shooting it at a 17% clip isn't going to net positive results. Once they started being aggressive and pressuring the paint/rim, looks on the outside opened up. Maybe that's the recipe to fixing this dreadful shooting spell.

Defensive intensity showed up in the second half

If the Mountaineers had opened the game the way they opened the second half, they would have positioned themselves better for the final eight or so minutes of the game. They were connected, energized, and locked in. They showed it at times in the first 20 minutes, but the early offensive woes were carried over to the other end of the floor. The good news is this team showed fight despite being down 20 at the break. This should be a sign that this three-game slide shouldn't last long.

Rebounding is still an issue

I lost count of how many times West Virginia did what it needed to do defensively but couldn't secure the rebound, giving Houston a second and sometimes third crack at it. Houston out-rebounded WVU 34-19 and snagged 13 of them on the offensive end of the floor. Because of the lack of size and length, the Mountaineers aren't going to win the battle on the glass very often. That doesn't mean you can't still be competitive. Giving up 13 offensive rebounds is unacceptable.

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Published
Schuyler Callihan
SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

Publisher of Mountaineers Now on FanNation/Sports Illustrated. Lead recruiting expert and co-host of Between the Eers, Walk Thru GameDay Show, Mountaineers Now Postgame Show, and In the Gun Podcast.