West Virginia might have lost both of the games in the Fort Myers Tip-Off but the experience allowed them to find some things out about themselves moving forward.
The Mountaineers dropped the first game 70-58 to SMU when the Mustangs quite literally just out-raced them down the stretch taking advantage of a short bench and tired legs.
The second contest against Virginia was there for the taking down the stretch but the Cavaliers made just enough plays to come out with a 56-54 win to drop West Virginia to 2-3 overall.
“I told our guys we have a small margin for error with the challenges we face. We have a small margin for error so every single possession counts,” head coach Josh Eilert said. “The tell of the game for us were the 16 turnovers. We have to take better care of the ball.”
Things were better in that department in the second half as the Mountaineers turned it over just six times while also wrestling away the lead after falling behind by double figures.
Related: Photos: WVU vs UVA Fort Myers Tip-Off 2023
It was a great test for us to see what it’s like to play against these ranked teams. To be right there, it gives us a lot of confidence but it’s time to keep working,” center Jesse Edwards said.
But in the end there are no moral victories in basketball and despite the encouraging results on the floor it still boils down to just another loss, the third in five games.
The Mountaineers were able to get much more production out of their bench and shooters, which is a necessity for this team around Edwards. That must happen for this team to have more success as each player that sees the floor is going to be needed to fill a role.
“Your role is to go out there and make shots for us and I tried to instil that confidence in them at halftime and they definitely came out with a different approach,” Eilert said. “Those guys are going to have to play that role and step up and make those shots when we need them to.”
The Mountaineers came up short after sustaining another blow to the roster with the appeal for transfer guard RaeQuan Battle being denied.
That leaves the Mountaineers with eight scholarship players as point guard Kerr Kriisa is out until the Massachusetts game and forward Akok Akok remains out after a medical emergency and there is no timetable for his return.
“We’re going to keep pushing forward. We got what we’ve got in our locker room that’s available to play and by God we’re going to keep competing every night and get better,” Eilert said.
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