MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia turned into the comeback kids during its trip to the state of Oklahoma.
The 14th-ranked Mountaineers erased a 19-point deficit in the final 11 minutes for an 87-84 victory against Oklahoma State on Monday.
Just two days before, the Mountaineers (9-3 2-2 Big 12) trailed by 18 at halftime against Oklahoma, only to come back and tie the game before falling, 75-71.
“We’ve got to stop doing that,” said WVU forward Derek Culver, who finished with 22 points and 19 rebounds. “We’ve got to stop spotting teams a 19-point, 20-point leads every game. We’re playing against really good teams, so things might not keep working out in our favor.”
Both comebacks were fueled by the Mountaineers’ 3-point shooting.
Against Oklahoma, WVU went 9 of 14 in the second half from behind the arc. The Mountaineers were 5 of 10 against the Cowboys (7-3, 1-3).
WVU’s defense also held OSU to without a field goal and to just three points on free throws for nearly a six-minute stretch in the second half, that saw WVU take a 68-49 deficit and cut it to 73-67.
“We’ve got to jump earlier out of the gate and take care of business,” Culver said.
Matching up with Cunningham
The Mountaineers got their first look at Oklahoma State freshman Cade Cunningham, who had himself a night with 25 points and nine rebounds.
The 6-foot-8 guard was 10 of 16 shooting from the floor, connected on three 3-pointers and added three assists.
Cunningham is the second-leading scorer in the Big 12 and is projected as a top-three selection in the 2021 NBA Draft.
But, on one key possession late in the second half, WVU came up with the right defensive match-up to make a difference in the game.
Oklahoma State led, 75-73, with 3:18 left when Culver found himself against Cunningham on the perimeter.
The Cowboys’ guard tried to go right and then made his way toward the foul line, but Culver never lost track of him.
With the shot clock running low, Cunningham was forced to pass the ball to teammate Isaac Likekele, who was being guarded by WVU guard Deuce McBride under the basket.
Likekele’s shot was missed and McBride went down on the other end and nailed a 3-pointer that gave WVU a 76-75 lead and the Mountaineers never trailed again.
“I’m just happy that we had a good team win,” Culver said. “It was a little shaky at first, but we came back and persevered.”
News and notes
This was Bob Huggins’ 300th career victory as WVU’s head coach. Only Gale Catlett (439) has recorded more men’s basketball wins with the Mountaineers.
Culver’s 19 rebounds were the most he’s had in a game since getting 21 at Oklahoma State as a freshman. The Mountaineers lost that game, 85-77.
Taz Sherman tied his career-high with 20 points. The senior guard has scored in double figures in nine of the 12 games this season.
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