MorGantown, W.VA. -West Virginia has relied on its first five for the wholesale of its success in the 2023-24 season.
Perhaps the most important game of the season by Saturday, it was a bench of climbers, which made all the differences, which helped to take West Virginia to 24th position, which was a 70–66 win against the number 23 Oklahoma, the first first against 3,715 inside the WVU Coliseum.
“I am going to enjoy the way that happened,” said first year West Virginia head coach Mark Kelog. “There was a long overdue for this group that night for the bench.”
Six-Foot-2 Senior Tavy Diggs of the fifth year led three WVU bench players with 12 points, while fellow Reserve Jayala Hemingway made all its six free-thro attempts and added nine points and Denley Erigbabu, which offers a lift in paint with six points and four rebellions.
Among all, the WVU bench dropped Oklahoma from 27–10.
Digs made 6-9 field-grains attempts and contributed half of their scoring outputs in the fourth quarter, with a mountaineer (22–3, 11-3) to enter 48–47.
“Tavy Diggs had a difference in game,” said Jenny Barnakazik, the head coach of the sons,. “We had no answer. She had something really difficult to end and she was really good. We needed to get better in interior and paint.”
This was the second 12-point attempt from Diggs in Big 12 Play this season, and allowed him to equal his total point from the last four matches, including a scorer outing for more than 17 minutes in Tuesday’s victory at TCU-where Digs spent three seasons before coming to Morgantown.
“It says a lot and matters a lot. In practice, we are working hard and living positive with each other, knowing that it could be our moment at any time,” Digs said about the collective mindset of the store. “I am proud of Jayla and Denley. We have grown up and you have to be ready every day because not everyone is always a good game.”
Before the three-pointers traded by Hemingway and Oklahoma, JJ Quinery opened with a follow-up basket in the fourth quarter with a follow-up basket, causing a three-plainteers trading, leading to WVU 52-51 with an increase and 7:30.
Digs was responsible for two climbers of the next three field targets, including 4:50, along with a basket of another occasion, which was able to face a loss of 58–54 to Suuners (18–7, 12–2).
Digs’ last basket came to a mark of 2:09 in response to a pair of Lexy Keys Free Throw, and allowed West Virginia to double its profit by 62–58.
Kelog said, “For Tavi’s credit, the fedway fell quite a lot. It is not my favorite, but as long as it is going in, it is always my favorite,” Kellog said.
However, Oklahoma’s petan Verhult, who led all the players with six triple and 20 points, made him a scuffle to the last three and pulled the OU within a point with 1:56.
After Quinery divided two free throw, he was attached to a mid-range jumper with 57 seconds, and two free throw from Hemingway left WVU, which appeared with a comfortable six-digit edge with 46 seconds. The profit was seven when Jordan Harrison made a 1 -2 -2 free throw with 28 seconds remaining, but Tot scored five points in 11 seconds and brought the sons within two with 9 seconds remaining.
Diggs, who tried only 13 free throw in all seasons, then missed two foul shots, leading to a chance to tie or go in front.
From a timeout, Tot received an inbound pass and had space to work on a drive for the basket, which he was foul by Harrison. However, the tot first missed the free throw and deliberately trying to remember the other, he made it, only this point was to be waved due to violations on the shooter to enter the paint.
Harrison then sealed the result by making two free throw over a second time to play.
“This is one of the plays we play again and again,” Bairanjik said of the final sequence. ,[Missing the second free throw is] Your only option at that point]. If I had to do it, I will put it on the line again. It is part of the growth. ,
The worst stretch of climbers came in the initial minutes of the competition when Oklahoma built a lead of 8–0 and 11-3.
Kaya Watson, who played 40 minutes, connected with 3:42 on a triple, survived in the initial frame, cutting the soonrs’ lead 11–6. WVU scored 12 points for the remaining period, ending with teams tied at 18.
Kelog said, “I got very good in them,” Kelog said, who called a timeout 2:23 in the matchup. “This was one of my more emotional speeches. We just needed to settle. We were very excited. The response was very good and we settled quickly.”
Arigababu scored four points in the first quarter and then the first basket of the second to give his first lead to WVU.
Kelog said, “Our bench was fantastic today. Not a tonn this year.”
The climbers led 26–20, when Quinary turned the turns, but the Suuners excluded the climbers from 12–5 at the last 3:58, and used a Verhuls Triple on their final possession, which to lead 32–31 in HafTime.
While OU shot 12 for 28 in the initial half, it made 7 out of 11 from long distances.
Kelog said, “They share it and take the ball forward in a better way than any team.
Quinerly ended with a team-high 18 points, out of which 11 scored in the second half. He did not have the second half turnover after finishing with five in the initial half.
Digs, Watson (11) and Harrison (10) were other double-figure scorers in winning. Although Harrison made only 2 -10 field -goes attempts, he had nine of the 23 -assistance, six rebounds and four thefts of the game.
“I am going to do whatever I am going to do to help my team win. I am not worried about the figures,” Herrison said.
WVU forced the 25 turnover, which helped in the turnover issue of 23–9. This helped offset the 41–31 rebounding benefits of the sons, which was made significant by 14 boards of Skyler Wan.
Van and Keys scored 11 points and Tot contributed 12 to the defeat.
Oklahoma, who won nine directly, made 13 -21 threes, but only 11-36 shots inside the arc.
“Even though we can shoot the ball, we don’t rely on it,” said Barshik. “Today, it kept us in it, but we needed a lot more than the interior.”
Oklahoma on Saturday entered the West Virginia, Canasus State and Texas with a two-game lead in Big 12 standing.
The climbers are in the state on Wednesday.