Texas Basketball vs. West Virginia: 5 takeaways from momentum building Big 12 win
4. West Virginia’s starting five needs help
If not for some of the bench scoring West Virginia got off the bench against Texas basketball, this game would be really ugly in the box score. However, the bench scoring for the Mountaineers did play a pivotal role in the outcome of this game, and kept them in it during a critical time in the second half.
Texas could’ve easily pulled away in the second half if West Virginia didn’t get important contributions off the bench. Three of the four leading scorers for the Mountaineers in this game came off the bench. Only one of the five scorers even reached double digit points. Three of the five starters didn’t have much of a role at all, and finished without a single point.
West Virginia forward Wesley Harris might have finished better in this game if not fouling out. But, Harris only hit one of his six attempts from the field before he fouled out so his production wasn’t present while on the floor. Freshman West Virginia forward Derek Culver had a breakout game to keep his team in it with a team-high 17 points.
However, West Virginia is a team built on depth but the scoring pattern is an issue this season. Texas did a great job down the stretch, though, of holding the West Virginia offense in check. A few others things Texas did well included holding the Mountaineers to 40 percent shooting from the field and winning the turnover battle.