WVU Basketball Falls Victim to UMD Comeback in Exhibition

WVU basketball let a second-half lead slip away in the team’s first exhibition game against Maryland, falling 90-81 in overtime on Sunday afternoon.

Maryland opened the game with an 8-2 run before sophomore center Mouhamed Sylla scored for WVU with a paint shot. Freshman guard Miles Sadler secured his first points as a Mountaineer to end the run with a three-pointer off a Maryland turnover.

Fellow freshman and former prep school teammate of Sadler center Amadou Seini followed with a dunk. The Mountaineers turned defense into offense as Sadler stole the ball in transition and earned an assist off a layup by junior forward Seydou Traore.

Senior guard Finley Bizjack made a three to tie the game at 12-12, and WVU got its first lead with a Sadler layup at the 12:16 mark.

WVU blazed from three in the first half, going 8-17 with Bizjack going 4-5 from beyond the arc to lead WVU with 14 points. The Mountaineers took a 46-31 lead to the locker room.

Maryland started the second half on a 12-4 run to cut the WVU lead to 50-43 going into the first media timeout of the second half.

Maryland went on a 12-0 run while WVU went scoreless for over three minutes. The drought ended with two free throws from Traore.

A different drought carried on for WVU, as the team went 5:23 without making a shot from the floor. Lorient ended the dry spell with a hook shot to make the score 56-51.

Maryland reclaimed the lead with a three-pointer at the 10:55 mark.

The two teams traded the lead until a three by guard Andre Mills put Maryland up 72-68 with 3:42 remaining.

Bizjack brought the game within two points with a corner three with one minute remaining off a steal by fifth-year forward Brenen Lorient. Lorient capitalized on an assist from Sadler with a two-hand slam to tie the game at 75 with under 15 seconds to go.

Lorient made another crucial play for WVU with a block on a potential game-winning layup attempt. With the score knotted at 75, the teams went to overtime.

The Mountaineers were outscored 15-6 and did not make a field goal in overtime.

WVU will play another exhibition game at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, at Glenville State.

Find more coverage of WVU basketball at WV Sports Now.