MORGANTOWN — Esmery Martinez had a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, Jasmine Carson chipped in 14 points off the bench, and No. 22 West Virginia forced 23 turnovers Friday to knock off Kennesaw (Ga.) State, 78-58, in front of 1,067 fans inside the WVU Coliseum.
Those were the main points in a game that featured several other plot lines.
Like the fact the Owls (1-3) shot an amazing 73.3% in the first quarter to hold a 23-21 lead.
“Some of those were turn-around jump shots and some of those were defended pretty well,” WVU head coach Mike Carey said. “They scored 23 points in the first quarter, which is unbelievable. We just weren’t ready to play.”
Or the fact the Mountaineers (2-0) came out slow in the third quarter and needed nearly four minutes to score a single point.
Or even the fact that WVU went scoreless over the final 4:57 of the game.
If a 20-point win suggests smooth sailing, Carey begged to differ.
“I told them before we went out they were quiet and laid back,” Carey said. “Eventually they may start trusting me and our leaders will start to get some people fired up.”
Kennesaw State played fired up early and its full-court pressure also befuddled WVU at times.
“We came out a little slow,” said WVU guard KK Deans, who finished with 12 points and seven assists. “Teams like that can come out scrappy and play hard, but we had to keep our composure.”
Deans helped fuel a run in the second quarter that saw the Mountaineers take their first lead with 6:55 remaining, and then never let the Owls back in the game.
Kennesaw State senior guard Alexis Poole, “hit some contested shots,” Deans said. “But, we play pretty good defense. You’re not going to get that through the whole game.”
Carey rotated 11 players throughout the game and each player saw at least nine minutes of playing time, as the coach continues to work to find the right combinations.
What the Mountaineers used in the fourth quarter did not exactly work.
WVU made just one of its last seven shots and was outscored 15-13 by the Owls.
If nothing else, the game was a real wake-up call for the Mountaineers.
“Yeah it was,” Carson said. “Every game we have to come out ready, no matter who we’re playing. It was a wake-up call. I’m glad we got it earlier in the season rather than later.”
The Mountaineers host Radford at 2 p.m. Sunday, before traveling to St. Petersburg, Fla. next week to play in the St. Pete Showcase, where WVU will play against Purdue and then either BYU or Florida State.
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