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WVU Completes Historic 19-Point Comeback Against Oklahoma State Monday Night

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(Courtney Bay/Oklahoma State Athletics)

For the second game in a row, the No. 14 West Virginia Mountaineers got off to a slow start, struggled to score and trailed at halftime before coming back to make the game close in the second half. Unlike Saturday, however, West Virginia was able to complete the 19-point comebacker against Oklahoma State on Monday, winning, 87-84.

The Cowboys (7-3, 1-3 Big 12) did whatever they wanted on offense in the first half. They shot 16 of 30 from the floor with 12 points in the paint. Junior guard Isaac Likekele scored 16 on 6 of 7 shooting.

WVU (9-3, 2-2) on the other hand shot just 13 of 40 in the first half, missing 10 three-pointers. Junior big man Derek Culver had a first-half double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, but the Mountaineers went into halftime trailing 45-35.

The second half started much of the same way, with OSU maintaining a double-digit lead, but the Mountaineers went on a tear halfway through. With 11 minutes left, the Mountaineers went on a 15 to 1 run to cut a 19-point OSU lead down to just five, 69-64.

The difference in the second half was a more aggressive defense from the Mountaineers. Oklahoma State turned the ball over eight times after halftime. WVU also hit five three-pointers in the half taking the lead for the first time in the game on a jumper from Miles ‘Deuce’ McBride with 3:02 left to play.

After hitting a three-pointer to give the Mountaineers a 76-75 lead, McBride came right back down the floor and hit another one to increase that lead to four points.

WVU’s lead never grew to more than four and Oklahoma State hit a three-pointer with 17 seconds left to cut the lead to one but McBride made both ensuing free throw and WVU was able to deny OSU a good look on the final posession to come away with the 87-84 win.

OSU shot 31 of 66 from the floor throughout the game with the tandem of Likekele and Cade Cunningham combining for 47 points. Likekele shot 9 of 14 from the floor with seven rebounds and four assists. Cunningham, the projected top draft pick, made 10 of 16 shots with nine rebounds, three assists and two steals but fouled out with 31 seconds to play.

The Cowboys went through of stretch of 2 of 11 shooting late in the second half that allowed the Mountaineers to stage their comeback.

WVU beat OSU on the boards, 48 to 39, but that figured was helped out by the Mountaineers’ 22 offensive rebounds that came on 41 missed shots. As a team, WVU shot 29 of 70 from the floor and 9 of 24 from behind the arch.

West Virginia was led by 22 points from Culver, who also had 19 rebounds. Senior Taz Sherman scored 20 on 6 of 16 shooting with three threes. For the second game in a row, Sherman scored double-digit points in the second half. McBride finished with 21 points.

WVU will have the rest of the week off before hosting the Texas Longhorns for a 1 p.m. tipoff in Morgantown on Saturday.

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