Morgantown’s head coach David Tallman reacts during a play against Martinsburg on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Lonnie Borom (32) is found by Martinsburg’s Telryn Villa (12) on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Alec Poland (0) has his shot blocked by Martinsburg’s Telryn Villa (12) on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Carson Poffenberger (24) is fouled by Martinsburg’s Doryn Smith (11) on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Carson Poffenberger (24) is fouled by Martinsburg’s Doryn Smith (11) on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Troy Battle (1) shoots over Martinsburg’s Anthony Smith (21) on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Troy Battle (1) shoots over Martinsburg’s Teddy Marshall (15) on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Xavier Pryor (15) attempts the layup against Martinsburg on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Xavier Pryor (15) shoots over Martinsburg’s Telryn Villa (12) on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Carson Poffenberger (24) and Martinsburg’s Doryn Smith (11) fights for the rebound on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Mac McMillen (4) works the ball past Martinsburg’s Anthony Smith (21) on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Xavier Pryor (15) shoots over a Martinsburg defender on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Brooks Gage (3) takes a shot against Martinsburg on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Xavier Pryor (15) and Martinsburg’s Tre Segar (10) fights for the rebound on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Xavier Pryor (15) shoots over Martinsburg’s Teddy Marshall (15) on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Xavier Pryor (15) works the ball past Martinsburg’s Doryn Smith (11) on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Xavier Pryor (15) shoots over Martinsburg’s Teddy Marshall (15) on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Alexander Rudy (22) works the ball down the court against Martinsburg on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Maxwell Washington (33) and Martinsburg’s Doryn Smith (11) goes for the loose ball on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Alexander Rudy (22) protects the ball from Martinsburg’s Anthony Smith (21) on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Brooks Gage (3) protects the ball from Martinsburg player on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Alec Poland (0) and a Martinsburg defender vie for the rebound on Monday. 
Morgantown’s Brooks Gage (3) makes a pass against Martinsburg on Monday.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — It was a performance Morgantown coach Dave Tallman would like to forget, and the sooner, the better.
In a top-five matchup against Martinsburg, the No. 2 Mohigans struggled offensively to create their own shot, and defensively, could not slow down the Bulldogs in the paint Wednesday during an early Martin Luther King Jr. Day tip at the Rowdy Center. Morgantown lost the game 68-56.
Coming off a big win last week against No. 3 University, Morgantown (10-2) may have let its reason praise get to its head, according to Tallman, and he blames no one else but himself.
“That was 100% my fault; the coach’s fault,” Tallman said. “We didn’t have our guys ready to play, that’s pretty much it. We came off a big win and everybody was telling us how good we are and we let the guys listen to that. It’s just my fault — we didn’t have a very good game plan and it showed.”
It didn’t start poorly for the Mohigans, holding a 13-12 lead at the end of the first quarter, but it started to turn in the wrong direction during the second frame, thanks in large part to Martinsburg’s Teddy Marshall.
Marshall scored nine points in the second quarter, while the Mohigans had just two baskets the entire right minutes, two 3-pointers by Brooks Gage.
The second quarter was the offensive lapse for Morgantown, but it was the third when the defense began to totally break down. Martinsburg (9-2) scored 22 points in the frame on six-made baskets, all coming in the paint. The Bulldogs followed that up with a 19-point fourth quarter, thanks in large part to a dominant performance from Telryn Villa. Villa scored 17 of his game-high 24 points in the second half, while teammate Doryn Smith scored 12 of his 14 points in the final two quarters.
Marshall finished the game with 19 points.
“Our help defense was the worst it’s been all year,” Tallman said. “We just didn’t do anything well and we simply weren’t ready to play.”
For Morgantown, Carson Poffenberger led the team with 14 points, but he was shutout until the third quarter. Alec Poland was the only other double-digit scorer with 10 points.
It’ll need to be a short turnaround for the Mohigans as they welcome No. 4 Wheeling Park at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
