MORGANTOWN, W.V.—A strong second half by the host Mountaineers coupled with an off shooting night for Bellarmine added up to a 74-55 victory for West Virginia on Tuesday night at the WVU Coliseum.
The Knights (2-6) did a solid job of limiting turnovers in the first 20 minutes, committing just four against a team that came into the contest forcing more 20 per game. Despite a poor shooting performance, the strong ball control kept Bellarmine within striking distance at halftime when they trailed 37-30.
The Mountaineers (6-1) came out in the second half with more intensity and immediately went on an 8-1 run over the first four minutes to take control of the game. West Virginia upped the defensive pressure in the second half as well to force Bellarmine into 10 turnovers to help extend the lead to as many as 29.
Bellarmine Coach
Scott Davenport was quick to give West Virginia credit. "Their physicality…that's what they hang their hat on and they overwhelmed us," he said. However, Davenport wasn't pleased with his team's performance. "We took a major step back tonight," he said.
Davenport was particularly disappointed in his team's rebounding, especially the inability to keep West Virginia off the offensive glass. "In the second half, they just shot until they scored," he said.
The statistics back up his statement. The Mountaineers grabbed 18 offensive rebounds—13 in the second period, and WVU enjoyed a 20-11 edge in second chance points.
Taz Sherman led West Virginia with a game-high 18 points while Jalen Bridges hauled in a game-high nine rebounds. Sean McNeil added 14 points for the Mountaineers.
The Knights ended the game with four double-digit scorers led by
Dylan Penn's 16. The Evansville, Indiana senior added a game-high five assists and a career-high five steals. Freshman
Curt Hopf had another solid outing for Bellarmine with 12 points while grabbing a new career-high eight rebounds. Guards
Juston Betz and
CJ Fleming added 10 points apiece with Betz tying his career-high with seven rebounds.
Bellarmine was held to 40.4 percent shooting including just a 2-of-17 performance from beyond the arc. Only Gonzaga has held the Knights to a lower percentage this year.
"Our offense was stagnant tonight," Davenport said, but he pointed out that his team did manage to create some open looks. "By and large we got good shots. In the first half, we were probably one out of 13 (from 3-point range) with great looks."
Tonight's game ended a grueling stretch to open the 2021-22 season. Of the Knights opening eight games, seven were on the road and included contests against three teams currently ranked in the nation's top five (Purdue, Gonzaga and UCLA).
Bellarmine now finally gets to enjoy a brief homestand. On Sunday at 3 p.m., the Knights host Defiance College at Freedom Hall. Then on Thursday, Dec. 9, Bellarmine will play a home game at the KFC Yum! Center when the Knights entertain in-state foe Asbury. The game was moved from its original date (Dec. 11) and relocated to accommodate the NCAA Regional Volleyball Tournament, which will use Freedom Hall.
The homestand concludes back in Freedom Hall on Dec. 10 when another in-state team comes to town as Bellarmine takes on Midway in another 7 p.m. contest.
