Hodge, Obioha Breakdown WVU Basketball Second-Half Slump Against Lehigh

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Vibes were high for WVU basketball in the first half of a 69-47 win over Lehigh Sunday, as the Mountaineers had a 42-20 lead at halftime.

The second half did not favor WVU as much, as the team scored 27 points in the second half.

Head coach Ross Hodge described the first 15 minutes of the game as “the best defensive basketball” the team has played yet, which opened up the offense.

“I thought the first 15 minutes was probably the best 15 minutes of defensive basketball that we’ve played since we’ve been together. Our hand activity was really well, was really good and made it hard on ’em. And that led to transition and good offense flow, and the ball was moving and kinda, kinda saw us at what could be our best,” Hodge said in the postgame press conference.

WVU forced 11 turnovers in the first half that resulted in 16 points.

Senior canter Harlan Obioha spoke on the team’s play out of halftime in the postgame press conference as well, mentioning starting fast in the second half has been an emphasis for the team. When it wasn’t up to Hodge’s standards, he had an intense conversation with the team during a timeout.

“It’s been a big emphasis for us to come out of halves better. We haven’t really came out of half yet like we wanted to, and that’s all he talked about in the locker room when we went in there,” Obioha said. “So, I think it, that was just him being a little frustrated on us not executing the game plan and not being locked into what we’re doing right now.”

While there are many factors at play, Obioha said the upperclassmen of the team need to help younger players know what to expect in certain situations.

“I think it’s just the way the game flows sometimes, but it’s also on us older guys. We’ve been in the situation before. Especially this team, we’ve had guys that, a lot of guys that have been to Lehigh in this situation. And so you know that feeling of nothing to lose, you’re coming in here just playing free,” Obioha said. “And so us knowing that, we’ve got to be better about communicating that with the young guys and knowing what to expect to come out there in the second half.”

When it comes to fixing the team’s play, Hodge said he doesn’t focus on specific issues but rather “everything.” After estimating the team played 20 good minutes against Lehigh, he spoke on wanting to expand that.

“What you’re really just trying to do is can you take that 20, make it 25 where you’re, and then you just wanna keep extending it where you’re playing really good stretches… I don’t think there’s just, like, one thing that you can pinpoint and be like, ‘Man, we have to improve at this,’ because we have to improve at everything,” Hodge said.

WVU basketball will take the court again at 6 p.m. Thursday when it hosts Pitt for the Backyard Brawl at the Hope Coliseum.

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