After a brutal first half that saw both teams struggle to score and find any sort of rhythm, the West Virginia Mountaineers turned up the defense in the second half and ended up coasting to a 78-62 win. The Mountaineers shut down the Herd in the second half, outscoring them 48-32 in the game's final 20 minutes.
Midway through the second half, when the game still hung in the balance, momentum swung the Mountaineers way for good after a frustrated DeAndre Kane bricked a deep three. On his way back up the court Kane picked up a personal foul and a technical foul, which resulted in the Mountaineers extending their lead to 14. From that point on, West Virginia ran clock and a frustrated Marshall squad traded buckets with the 'Eers and never closed the gap
Kevin Jones, as usual, was a total beast, dropping 25 points and grabbing six boards. Kevin Noreen and Dominique Rutledge both played well in Deniz Kilicli's absence, but it was really the freshman guards that stole the show. With a depleted frontline, Bob Huggins had to go small for most of the second half, playing both Jabarie Hinds and Gary Browne alongside Truck Bryant. While Bryant poured in 22 points, the freshman duo of Browne and Hinds dazzled, burying deep shots and taking swift dashes into the lean, almost always resulting in Mountaineers points.
The Mountaineers next take the court this Saturday at home against Cincinnati.
For more on the West Virginia Mountaineers, stay tuned to SBNation Pittsburgh and The Smoking Musket.
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