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Best Virginia set to battle Zoo Crew in second round of TBT – WV MetroNews

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Best Virginia set to battle Zoo Crew in second round of TBT – WV MetroNews


PITTSBURGH — Best Virginia and Zoo Crew’s second-round matchup in The Basketball Tournament from Petersen Events Center at 8 p.m. Monday won’t directly fall under the category of a Backyard Brawl.

That doesn’t mean, however, that the contest between West Virginia and Pitt’s alumni-based teams won’t have a similar feel to it, especially considering the majority of players and coaches from both sides have their fair share of history in the storied rivalry between the nearby schools.

“It’s how they setup the bracket on purpose,” said Best Virginia head coach Chase Harler, a Wheeling Native who played for the Mountaineers from 2017-2020. “I’m from West Virginia, so I take it a little more personal. I played against them in college and I don’t think I ever lost to Pitt. I hope to keep that tradition going.”

Harler’s Best Virginia coaching debut was a successful one Saturday afternoon, with the team racing out to leads of 11-0 and 35-13 and hardly looking back in a 94-69 victory over Brotherly Love.

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Best Virginia, a No. 3 seed, put together an impressive showing in its TBT opener, but the challenge will only increase against second-seeded Zoo Crew.

Zoo Crew was put to the test and then some later Saturday, but prevailed 98-95 against Million $ Worth Of Game. 

Best Virginia defeated Brotherly Love, 94-69. Photo by Greg Carey

“A lot of rest and practice Sunday. Get a lot of shots,” Harler said. “Do some scouting as well. Tighten up some things on offense and continue to do what we do and that’s playing defense. Offensively, we got into the paint so much and had wide open shooters. Hoping to do that on Monday as well.”

Eight of Best Virginia’s 10 players former  Mountaineers, though the two that aren’t — guard Marcus Keene and wing Xavier Bledson — are welcomed additions to the team and made their presence felt in their team debut.

Keene hit three three-pointers in the opening quarter to help set the tone in his 12-point performance, while Bledson had four triples and scored 12 points to match Keene’s scoring output. 

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“We have some new guys that fit perfectly for us. Since the first practice, they’ve been great for us,” Harler said.

Every BV player scored at least five points and four registered double figures.

Much of Best Virginia’s offense was orchestrated by guard Teyvon Myers, who dished out 13 assists — three more than the opposing team.

“The advantage we have in this tournament every year is the chemistry we have with WVU guys,” Harler said. 

Zoo Crew led by 10 at halftime and seven through three quarters of its TBT opener, before being faced to deliver down the stretch of the Elam Ending after the game was tied at 95. A bucket from Mike Young and one free throw from Jamel Artis allowed ZC to advance on a night it surrendered better than 56 percent shooting from the field, but shot nearly 60 percent and had all five starters in double-figure scoring.

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Young, a 6-foot-9 forward, led that contingent with 24 points on 11-for-16 shooting, while 6-4 guard Nike Sibande added 21. 

Zoo Crew displayed no shortage of perimeter shooting in the win as well and knocked down 14-of-32 triples.

Best Virginia hopes to make things tougher on them with a spot in the regional final at stake.

The winning team moves on to face the winner of Monday’s 6 p.m. matchup between No. 1 Stars of Storrs and No. 5 Happy Valley Hoopers. That contest is at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

“They say it’s a Backyard Brawl. They see I fit in,” Keene said. “I’m going to be ready. I live for that. I’ve played against teams in TBT before in their arena, between Wichita and Dayton, so I’ll be ready.”

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West Virginia

West Virginia man accused of threatening Trump, ICE agents indicted

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West Virginia man accused of threatening Trump, ICE agents indicted


A West Virginia man accused of threatening to attack President Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement workers was federally indicted this week.

Cody Lee Smith, 20, of Clarksburg was indicted on two counts of threats to murder the president, one count of influencing and retaliating against federal officials by threat of murder and one count of influencing a federal official by threat of murder, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia.

Smith is accused of making a series of public posts on Instagram encouraging and threatening the murder of Trump, those who support him, Israelis and “all government officials,” the news release said.

The indictment also alleges that Smith sent a direct message via Instagram to Donald J. Trump, Jr., stating he would kill his father by cutting his “jugular.”

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In a phone call with the ICE tip line, Smith also threatened to kill ICE agents in Clarksburg and employees staffing the tip line.

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Smith faces up to 5 years for each of the presidential threat charges and faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the remaining counts.



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West Virginia falls flat in 65-63 loss to Kansas State – WV MetroNews

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West Virginia falls flat in 65-63 loss to Kansas State – WV MetroNews


West Virginia has said the right things about the need to capitalize on opportunities.

The Mountaineers aren’t following through when they come about.

The latest example came Tuesday night at Kansas State, which scored 21 unanswered points in the second half before holding off a furious West Virginia charge for a 65-53 victory at Bramlage Coliseum.

“The level of urgency and desire to win a game with so much on it wasn’t where it needed to be,” West Virginia head coach Ross Hodge said on postgame radio.

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The Wildcats (12-18, 3-14) played without leading scorer PJ Haggerty, a surprise scratch with an undisclosed injury.

Although WVU (17-13, 8-9) defeated Kansas State 59-54 with Haggerty in the lineup during a January matchup in Morgantown, the Mountaineers were unable to capitalize on his absence in the rematch and fell to 1-4 in their last five games.

Both teams were dismal offensively in the opening half, which ended with West Virginia leading, 26-23.

The Mountaineers got 10 points apiece from reserve forwards Chance Moore and DJ Thomas, helping the visitors to at least somewhat overcome a starting lineup that scored six points on 3-for-15 shooting over the first 20 minutes.

“When you’re playing a team that is a little down and out, you can’t give them life and can’t give them hope,” Hodge said. “We had so many opportunities in the first half and at the beginning of the game to make some plays and entice a team that’s been struggling to maybe keep struggling.”

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After a scoreless first half, WVU guard Honor Huff made his 100th three-pointer this season with 18:33 to play, allowing the Mountaineers to lead 31-27.

West Virginia went the next 8-plus minutes without a point, and Wildcats took control during that stretch.

Khamari McGriff scored the Wildcats’ first four points of the extended 21-0 spurt and accounted for four buckets and eight of the first 15 points during that time.

A jumper from CJ Jones with 10:53 remaining left the home team with a 48-31 advantage, before Thomas scored from close range to end his team’s extended drought at the 10:27 mark.

“I’m aware of our shortcomings and I understand when you’re deficient in some areas, your margin for error to win is razor thin,” Hodge said. “I’m disappointed with what was at stake, we got beat to loose balls. Would it have been nice to make more layups and threes? Of course. But when those things aren’t happening, you better do those other things.”

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KSU had separate 19-point leads, the latter of which came at 57-38 when McGriff made two free throws with 7:29 to play.

WVU then increased its aggressiveness offensively and reeled off the next 11 points, while the Wildcats began to play tentative while in possession.

A three-pointer from K-State’s Nate Johnson left the Wildcats with a 60-49 lead with 3:48 left, but the Mountaineers continued to battle and trailed by six when Chance Moore scored in the paint at the 1:24 mark.

Moore’s next basket made it a five-point game, and after a Johnson turnover, Huff made two free throws to bring WVU to within 61-58 with 48 seconds left.

Another KSU turnover gave the visitors the ball back, but after Moore missed a shot that the Mountaineers rebounded, Huff committed a costly turnover. 

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Johnson made two free throws with 17 seconds left, and McGriff added two more with 7 seconds remaining before Huff made a trey at the buzzer.

Moore led WVU with 18 points and made 6-of-7 shots, but again struggled on free throws, finishing 5 for 9. WVU hurts its cause at the charity stripe and made only 9-of-16 attempts.

Brenen Lorient was the Mountaineers’ second-leading scorer with 14 second-half points, while Thomas followed with 12 and Huff added 11 on 3-for-11 shooting.

Treysen Eaglestaff led all players with 11 rebounds in defeat, but made only 3-of-12 shots in a six-point showing.

McGriff led KSU with 18 points and added seven rebounds.

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Johnson finished with 16 points and nine boards.

WVU had nine of its 13 turnovers in the second half. 

“Nine turnovers in the second half creates more busted floors, more cross match opportunities and through that, it makes you vulnerable for paint touch opportunities,” Hodge said. 

K-State played under the guidance of interim head coach Matthew Driscoll. Driscoll replaced Jerome Tang, who was fired in between the team’s first and second matchups with West Virginia this season.

“Sometimes in life you get what you deserve,” Hodge said, “and we deserved to lose tonight.”

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Nitro completes utility deal with West Virginia American Water – WV MetroNews

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Nitro completes utility deal with West Virginia American Water – WV MetroNews


NITRO, W.Va. — It’s a done deal.

Nitro Mayor Dave Casebolt signed an agreement Tuesday with West Virginia American Water Company President Scott Wyman completing the sale of the Nitro Regional Wastewater Utility including the sewer plant for $20 million.

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The water utility will now own and operate the city’s water and wastewater systems. The state Public Service Commission recently approved the deal.

Casebolt said it’s good to get the long-talked-about agreement signed. He said the city can’t afford to make the improvements required at the sewer plant.

“We’re looking at needing between 40 and 50 million dollars of upgrades to our system and expecting our four-thousand customer base to try to offset those costs is not even practical,” Casebolt said.

Casebolt said sewer bills are going to go up but he said they were going to go up regardless. He said the city was facing increasing rates by as much as 50 percent.

West Virgina American is planning $42 million in upgrades to the sewer system over the next five years, Casebolt said.

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“It’s a much-need investment and actually allow the system to handle rainwater much better where it’s not backing up into people’s homes,” Casebolt said.



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