West Virginia Looks to Avoid Losing Streak Against Cincinnati

The Mountaineers are searching for a win after dropping six of the last eight games

Christopher Hall | Feb 19, 2025

West Virginia University guard Javon Small / Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

Morgantown, WV - West Virginia is in danger of suffering its second losing streak of the season when Cincinnati visits the WVU Coliseum Wednesday night.

West Virginia ended a three-game skid earlier in the month at Cincinnati behind its stingy defense. The Mountaineers smothered the Bearcats to shoot a mere 31.5% from the field, marking their best defensive field goal percentage in Big 12 play this season.

The Mountaineers (15-10, 6-8) also produced their most efficient night from the floor during league-action, shooting 49% from the field, including 9-18 from three-point range. Senior guard Javon Small scored a game-high 19 points and senior guard Joseph Yesufu came off the bench and provided the offense a much-needed spark with 16 points on a perfect 6-6 from the floor, in addition to an astounding 4-4 from three.

West Virginia University guard Joseph Yesufu / Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

West Virginia has dropped three of its last four games with the average margin of loss sitting at four points. Free throw disparity has been highlighted in the losses, with the three opponents shooting on average 14 more attempts from the charity stripe.

“Our identity is to be physical and tough, and they’ve done a good job of that,” West Virginia University head coach Darian DeVries. “We’re one of the better defenses in the country for that reason. It’s just a matter of cleaning those little reach fouls…You got to have a little more discipline at the end of it… So, we’ve had four games, one win and three tough losses and when you’re talking about a games being decided by two, four points, where can you find those two to four points from? That’s an area right now we can go to find it.”

The Bearcats (15-10, 5-9) ripped off three straight wins after the loss to the Mountaineers, then was within striking distance of a top 10 Iowa State team before falling in Ames on Saturday 81-70.

“They are playing with a lot of confidence,” West Virginia University head coach Darian DeVries said. they’re playing very well. They kind of found themselves it kind of felt like the last four games.”

Feb 11, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats guard Jizzle James (2) shoots against Utah Utes guard Mike Sharavjamts (25) in the first half at Fifth Third Arena. / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Cincinnati’s leading scorer, junior guard Jizzle James, was scoreless in the first meeting with West Virginia, but since then, he has averaged 22.3 points in the last four games and has propelled an offense that was averaging 60.7 ppg entering the contest WVU to 83 ppg the last four outings.

“He’s been playing at a high, high level,” DeVries said. So, that’s a big difference for them. Now, everybody else gets freed up a little bit, but he’s getting hard ones. He’s coming off and getting step backs from 15 and step backs from three and getting to the rim.”

West Virginia and Cincinnati tip-off at 7:00 p.m. EST and the action will broadcast on ESPN2.

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