Treysen Eaglestaff scored a game-high 23 points to lead West Virginia to an 86-51 win over Mississippi Valley State on Monday in Morgantown, W.Va.
Honor Huff put up 13 points for the Mountaineers (9-4), who had lost two of their previous three games. Harlan Obioha contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds, and DJ Thomas added 11 points off the bench and reserve Amir Jenkins chipped in 10 points
Michael James led the Delta Devils (1-12) with 14 points. Mississippi Valley State has lost 11 consecutive games.
West Virginia was hot from the field, shooting 53.6% (30 of 56), and also was dialed in from 3-point range, hitting 44.4% (12 of 27). The Delta Devils struggled as they shot 34% (18 of 53) from the floor and just 1 of 9 on three-point attempts.
While the Mountaineers jumped out to a 7-0 advantage and led from wire to wire, the Delta Devils kept it close in the first half. Delkedric Holmes got a 6-0 run started with two layups. A X’Zaevion Barnett steal led to a James fastbreak layup as the Delta Devils closed within 11-10 near the midpoint of the half.
The rally was thwarted by a Jasper Floyd 3-pointer that kickstarted a 12-2 West Virginia run. Thomas capped the surge with a layup for a 23-12 Mountaineers lead.
It marked the beginning of the Mountaineers asserting control of the game. Much of the West Virginia scoring damage was done by its bench, which outscored the Mississippi Valley State substitutes 24-15.
Near the end of the first half, Eaglestaff and Jenkins made 3-pointers on back-to-back West Virginia possessions. Huff connected on a shot from beyond the arc for a 40-20 Mountaineers lead with 1:19 to go, and the margin was 42-22 at halftime.
After James notched the first bucket of the second half for the Delta Devils, West Virginia reeled off 13 straight points for a 55-24 advantage with 15:49 to play. Eaglestaff hit a pair of treys in the run, and an Obioha scored the other seven points, including a dunk that capped the outburst.
A Mussa Mzein layup cut West Virginia’s lead to 55-28, the closest the Delta Devils would get the rest of the way.
–Field Level Media
