WVU dominates Illinois 89-57

No. 19 West Virginia (4-0) used a big first half run and smothering defense to easily get past Illinois 89-57 in the NIT Season Tipoff Thursday afternoon.

As it’s been the recipe to date, West Virginia used a balanced scoring effort with eleven players contributing and only two players in double figures with senior forward Nathan Adrian with 13 points and junior Jevon Carter with ten points. Junior guard Daxter Miles also made his season debut and contributed with eight points off the bench.

West Virginia used a smothering press defense to turn Illinois over 24 times.

West Virginia led 10-9 three minutes into the game as the pace went back and forth in the early going. But the Mountaineers used an 18-2 run by shooting 80-percent from the field to push the score to 25-11. Miles, making his season debut, connected on a pair of threes during the run.

The West Virginia pressure affected Illinois forcing turnovers and miscues that led to easy baskets for the Mountaineers in transition.

But Illinois would use an 8-0 run itself to cut the score 31-21 with 5:11 left in the half before an Ahmad basket ended that stretch.

The lead would be pushed back out to 46-27 with under a minute left in the first half as the Mountaineers continued to frustrate the Illini on the defensive end with their pressure. Ahmad and Miles were the leading scorers with eight points in the first half but eleven players scored.

West Virginia forced 13 first-half turnovers and turned that into 19 points for the 48-29 halftime lead. The good play continued to start the second half as the Mountaineers used a 12-0 run to seize complete control as Illinois continued to struggle with the West Virginia press.

And from there the Mountaineers would not look back cruising to a comfortable lead while emptying the bench in the second half.

West Virginia will play Temple tomorrow in the championship game at 3:00 p.m.