MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In a strong display, No. 6 Houston emerged victorious against West Virginia with a score of 63-49 on Wednesday night, marking their 13th consecutive win. L.J. Cryer led the charge with 17 points, while Joseph Tugler contributed 12 points, and Milos Uzan added another 10 for the Cougars, who now hold a record of 17-3 overall and a perfect 9-0 in the Big 12 Conference.
Houston’s current streak of 18 consecutive conference wins, dating back to the previous season, is now recognized as the second-longest in the history of the Big 12. Meanwhile, West Virginia, with a record of 13-7 and 4-5 in the conference, is struggling, having lost their last three games. The team’s leading scorer, Javon Small, managed to score only eight points, nearly 12 points below his average.
The Cougars efficiently opened the game, scoring the first eight points and establishing a comfortable 39-19 lead by halftime. Although West Virginia attempted to stage a comeback with an 11-0 run to start the second half, their efforts were insufficient to shift the momentum in Houston’s favor. Additionally, the Cougars dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Mountaineers 34-19, thus completing a clean sweep in their regular-season encounters.
Analysis reveals interesting patterns: L.J. Cryer has consistently performed well against West Virginia, averaging 20 points in six previous matchups. On the other hand, the Mountaineers, hindered by injuries, have struggled offensively, managing to score 60 points or fewer in four of their last five outings and failing to reach 20 points in the first half in their last two contests. As the season progresses, it is crucial for West Virginia to find solutions to keep their NCAA Tournament aspirations alive under first-year coach Darian DeVries.
A pivotal moment in the game came after West Virginia closed the gap to 49-44 with 7:52 remaining in the second half. Cryer responded decisively by converting a three-point play, initiating a crucial 12-2 run that solidified Houston’s lead and kept them comfortably ahead.
Looking at the statistics, West Virginia faced a tough challenge, as their shooting from beyond the arc was dismal. The team managed only 4 of 18 attempts from three-point range, translating to a mere 22% success rate, which made their task even harder.
Next on Houston’s schedule is a matchup at home against No. 22 Texas Tech on Saturday. West Virginia, meanwhile, will hit the road for a contest at Cincinnati on Sunday.
