West Virginia Mounts Comeback and Tame Wildcats

The Mountaineers come back down 17 to notch first Big 12 win of the season

Morgantown, WV - Trailing by as many as 17 points Saturday afternoon, West Virginia guard Sean McNeil sparked a comeback with 19 second half points and tied a career-high 26 points to lead the Mountaineers to their first conference win of the season over Kansas State Saturday 71-68.

After a week since West Virginia's only outing since December 22nd, the Mountaineers came out sluggish, leaving Kansas State shooters wide open along the perimeter as the Wildcats built a 14-4 lead to start the game, while the Mountaineers started 1-9 from the field. However, the Wildcats continued hustled play highlighted by Davion Bradford beating Mountaineer forward Pauly Paulicap down the floor for the slam dunk, and the Wildcats held a 23-6 advantage at the 11:29 mark of the first half. 

West Virginia cut the deficit to nine, but Kansas State continued to get wide-open looks, going 9-19 from behind the arc with Nijel Pack and Mark Smith leading the way with three threes apiece, taking a 40-27 advantage into halftime. 

A slugfest ensued in the second half and West Virginia began to scratch and claw its way back into the game and cut to five, 42-37 within the first five minutes of the second half. 

Moments later, Sean McNeil buried a three to get within two, but the steady guard play of the Wildcats kept the Mountaineers at arm's length until West Virginia orchestrated a 15-3 run behind a pair of threes from McNeil and Taz Sherman to take a 61-53 with just under six minutes to play as the Mountaineers appeared poised to cruise in the final minutes. However, Nijel Pack kept the Wildcats within a possession with a couple of threes, cutting the deficit to two with 2:20 remaining in the game.

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The two traded turnovers before McNeil hit a pair of free throws to extend the Mountaineers lead to four with 1:24 left to play, but the Wildcats guard Marquis Nowell answered with a tough drive at the basket to get back within two. 

Kansas State sent Kedrian Johnson to the line with 18 seconds remaining, and he hit both to put WVU back up four. Yet, again, Kansas State answered with a three from Ismael Massoud to cut the deficit to one with five seconds left to play. The Wildcats proceeded to foul Jalen Bridges to send him to the charity stripe, as he hit the pair of free throws to push the lead to three with four seconds remaining.  

Markquis Nowell lofted a deep three that went wide, and the Mountaineers held on for the 71-68 victory. 

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