McBride leads West Virginia to win over Kansas

In his second season at West Virginia, Miles McBride had yet to see a win over the Kansas Jayhawks.

He was still a senior in high school the last time it happened in January 2019, but the Mountaineers had fallen flat in each matchup since then.

Thanks to McBride, who scored a team-high 29 points on Saturday, that streak has been snapped. The no. 17 Mountaineers emerged with a 91-79 win over the No. 23 Jayhawks, extending their current season win-streak to two.

West Virginia (13-5) charged out to a quick lead, benefitting heavily from strong ball-movement. The team’s starting five — a new combo featuring guards McBride and Taz Sherman, as well as forwards Emmitt Matthews Jr., Jalen Bridges and Derek Culver — ultimately concluded the first half with a dozen assists.

Culver and McBride were the prime beneficiaries, combining for 25 first-half points.

Kansas (12-7) saw successes of its own, but could not keep up with the Mountaineers’ volume of scoring. West Virginia had scored on 17 attempts from the field in the first half, compared to the Jayhawks’ 13.

Additionally, McBride and Sherman were able to get the Mountaineers’ long-range game off the ground, sending them into halftime with a 44-34 lead.

West Virginia embarked on the second half by embracing a worst case scenario. The Jayhawks’ offense went a perfect 6-of-6 from the field, ultimately wrestling away the Mountaineers’ 10-point lead in just over two minutes.

Yet, after a West Virginia timeout, things were looking up for the Mountaineers. A handful of stops on the defensive end proved crucial, and the Jayhawks were unable to take the lead.

Bill Self’s squad wouldn’t back down however, tying the score a handful of times as the game clock ticked down.

The Mountaineers entered the final two minutes in possession of an 11-point lead. It would be enough as Kansas could not find a way to grab the lead before the clock hit zero.

After McBride, Sherman (25 points) and Culver (19) led the Mountaineers in scoring. Culver also hauled in a team-leading nine rebounds.

Up Next: West Virginia will hit the road, taking on Texas Tech on Tuesday at 9 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.

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