CONWAY, S.C. — A costly scoreless streak that covered more than four minutes and a season-high 22 turnovers were the culprits that did in West Virginia in Friday’s 63-57 loss to Western Kentucky in the semifinals of the Myrtle Beach Invitational.
Holding a slim 51-50 lead after Lamont West made two free throws with 6:21 left, the Mountaineers (1-2) never scored again until Beetle Bolden hit a 3-pointer at the 2:18 mark.
That cut into the Hilltoppers (3-1) lead, 57-54, and then the Mountaineers made it 57-56 seconds later when Esa Ahmad scored on an offensive putback, but could only manage one free throw from Sagaba Konate over the final 1:41.
Western Kentucky forced West Virginia into a season-high 22 turnovers, none more costly than Bolden getting the ball stolen from him by Josh Anderson with a chance to tie the game or take the lead with a three with 36 seconds remaining.
“We’re throwing it to the guys in the wrong-colored shirts,” West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. “We don’t have a point guard right now. That’s the bottom line right now. For two years, Beetle played off the ball. [Jevon Carter] handled the ball and he came in to make shots.”
It was the most turnovers in one game by the Mountaineers since turning it over 23 times against Kansas State last January.
“We had 22 turnovers and they only had 13,” West Virginia guard Chase Harler said. “It was more about us turning it over. Their defense was pretty good, but at the same time, we were pretty much just throwing it right to them. That’s where we struggled. Our turnovers just completely killed us. Our turnovers led to them scoring..”
The loss also ended a run of five championship appearances by West Virginia in November holiday tournaments.
Ahmad finished with 12 points and five rebounds, while Bolden added 10 points and four rebounds.
“We got stops when we needed them,” Bolden said. “We rebounded the ball pretty well. Our turnovers really changed the game.”
WVU will play in the third-place game against St. Joseph’s, at 4 p.m. Sunday.
Western Kentucky, which will play UCF in the title game Sunday, was led by Charles Bassey’s 13 points and 15 rebounds. Taveion Hollingsworth added 13 points.
“Our guys played some tough, hard and physical minutes tonight,” Western Kentucky coach Rick Stansbury said. “This was a tough, gritty king of basketball game and I’m really proud of my guys.”
A collection of referees’ whistles cost the Mountaineers starting point guard Bolden for much of the first half.
The junior was charged with two fouls before three minutes had elapsed and the fouls kept piling up both ways.
By the time the Mountaineers headed to the locker room with a 35-33 lead — and to a loud chorus of boos from fans toward the refs — they had been whistled for 13 fouls.
Konate was also saddled with two, as was Ahmad, Lamont West, Logan Routt and Brandon Knapper.
For those keeping track at home, that’s four starters, a backup point guard and a walk-on forward.
The Hilltoppers went 15 of 17 from the foul line as a result — “They didn’t miss from the foul line and we kept putting them there,” Bolden said — but they were also whistled for 12 fouls that led to West Virginia going 10 of 13 from the foul line in the first half.
It wasn’t pretty either way, as neither team was able to find any offensive rhythm and settled for a parade of free-throw attempts.
“It was a physical game,” Harler said.
Turnovers became a problem, too, for the Mountaineers, but that’s not exactly news.
West Virginia combined for 37 turnovers in its first two games and added 22 more in this one.
Over the first eight minutes of the second half, West Virginia had more than twice as many turnovers (7) as field goals (3).
Meanwhile, Western Kentucky only scored on transition baskets and couldn’t buy a 3-pointer.
One transition opportunity was blocked clean by the 6-foot Bolden, with 10:07 remaining.
Hollingsworth intercepted a bad pass by Ahmad and raced down the court for what looked like an open lay-up. That was until Bolden raced in front of him, and with everything Bolden had, leaped into the air and blocked the shot.
He added a drive to the bucket a minute later that gave the Mountaineers a 49-48 lead, but it was short lived.
And then the Mountaineers went cold from the field.
WVU was held to 18 of 54 from the field (33 percent) and shot 24 percent in the second half.
“We threw it away on five out of six [possessions],” Huggins said. “That will get you a scoring drought.”
Huggins also said the Mountaineers are lacking leadership early in the season.
“You go back through the last few years, when we weren’t as good it was because we didn’t have a leader,” he said. “You go back and talk about Da’Sean Butler and Kevin Jones and Juwan Staten and Gary Browne and Jevon Carter; there aren’t any of those guys sitting in our locker room.”
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