Oklahoma downs West Virginia
Despite a 15-point performance from guard Malik Curry, West Virginia's losing streak continues.
The Mountaineers fell to the Oklahoma Sooners on Tuesday night, 72-59.
The two teams opened the game by trading blows with one another, but a 9-0 Sooner run near the halfway point of the first half allowed Oklahoma to build some space ahead of the Mountaineers.
At the same time, West Virginia went on a damning run of 17 consecutive misses. The Sooners quickly capitalized, doubling the WVU's 14 points.
After snapping back to reality, the Mountaineers started to chip away at the lead with a 10-0 run of their own, resulting in them entering halftime with a mere four points separating them from Oklahoma.
Despite moving to the second half with all the momentum, West Virginia accomplished little in order to change the direction of the game.
Propelled by forward Tanner Groves, the Sooners were able to retain a consistent lead of a couple of buckets. The Mountaineers, while continuing to stay alive, could not wrestle the lead away, nor even tie the score, during the second half.
One crucial factor was the team's inability to draw fouls, and the Mountaineers attempted zero free throws during the second half.
In the game's final minutes, Oklahoma's ability to hit shots from long range deepened West Virginia's hole and ultimately allowed the Sooners to coast to victory.
Stat Attack
Curry led the Mountaineers in scoring while Taz Sherman (11 points) and Pauly Paulicap (10) also finished in double digits.
Curry also led the team in rebounding, while Paulicap, Jalen Bridges and Isaiah Cottrell each tallied five.
Up Next
West Virginia (14-16) returns home for the regular season finale against TCU on Saturday. The 2 p.m. tipoff will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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