West Virginia Highlights Scoring Ability in Backyard Brawl Win Over Pitt, 81-56

PITTSBURGH — West Virginia highlighted their scoring ability, cruising to a 81-56 win over Pitt in the 189th edition of the Backyard Brawl.

West Virginia finished the night shooting 53 percent from the field. The Mountaineers made 8-three’s on 21 attempts.

West Virginia’s shooting was lights out in the first half, shooting 16-of-27 (67%) from the field. WVU continued that streak into the second half.

Out of the gates, West Virginia and Pitt both came out aggressive on offense. Pitt G Greg Elliott made 3-three’s in the first four minutes of the game. WVU countered Pitt’s fast start with one of their own. The Mountaineers started out shooting 11-of-12 from the field.

Mohamed Wague continued to show his immediate presence in his Backyard Brawl debut. The JUCO product scored 11 on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting. Wague continues to impress during his first week of playing Division-I games.

In the opening minutes of the game, WVU guard Erik Stevenson knocked down 2-three’s to give the Mountaineers an early 8-2 lead. The South Carolina transfer finished with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

WVU’s Joe Toussaint drove into the paint with 5:37 left in the game, finishing an and-one opportunity to extend the lead to 16. Toussaint was one of four Mountaineers to reach double figures. Toussaint led the West Virginia on Friday night, recording 18 points.

WVU forward Tre Mitchell once again dressed and came off the bench for Bob Huggins. Mitchell finished with eight points and six rebounds. Mitchell practiced throughout the week for the first time since sustaining a foot injury in the preseason. Mitchell made his WVU debut on Monday night against Mount St. Mary’s finishing with 13 points in 14 limited minutes.

In the 2021 edition of the Backyard Brawl, West Virginia and Pitt combined for 46 turnovers. On Friday, the two combined for 30. West Virginia, who has struggled with taking care of the ball so far, had 11 turnovers. Pitt had 19.

Former West Virginia commit Federiko Federiko started at center for the Panthers. Federiko finished with five points and six rebounds.

Notable scorers for WVU include: Toussaint (18), Stevenson (16), Wague (11) and Matthews (10).

West Virginia will host Morehead State on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at the WVU Coliseum. The Mountaineers and Eagles will tip-off at 7 p.m. on ESPN+