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Arizona Basketball Loses to West Virginia in Third Place Game of Battle 4 Atlantis

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Arizona Basketball Loses to West Virginia in Third Place Game of Battle 4 Atlantis


Arizona was ready to turn the page on their tough two-game stretch against Wisconsin and Duke that resulted in the Wildcats almost falling out of the top 25.

While the results on the court weren’t great, those were still early tests for this Arizona team that is still needing to gel, so despite the losses, there wasn’t a whole lot of panic around the program based on the success they’ve had under head coach Tommy Lloyd.

The Wildcats looked like they had figured some things out on the practice floor prior to their Bahamas trip for the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament when they bludgeoned Davidson.

Arizona looked much more like themselves by attacking the glass to pull down 12 offensive rebounds, getting out in transition for 14 fastbreak points, and shooting at sizzling rate from the floor (56.5%), and from deep (50.0%).

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But, with a championship appearance on the line, they fell in their next contest to Oklahoma.

The hard-fought five-point loss was disappointing, especially since they struggled to shoot the ball in back-to-back games, but again, this early season defeat could have been taken with a grain of salt.

That sentiment likely ended on Friday.

Arizona lost again, this time to West Virginia in an overtime heartbreaker that saw the Wildcats run out of steam in the extra period to lose, 83-76.

Early on, it looked like Arizona was going to showcase their form that earned them a preseason top 10 ranking.

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They jumped out of the gates fast, taking an early seven-point lead five minutes into the game and extending it to eight with 12:42 left in the first half that stopped a little mini-run by West Virginia.

But the Mountaineers, who upset third-ranked Gonzaga just two days prior to this matchup, were able to tighten things up and take their second lead of the game with 8:46 left in the half.

That started a seesaw affair for the rest of the period where Arizona would try to pull away before West Virginia answered and eventually went into the locker room up 39-37.

The second half was a bit lower scoring.

In a role reversal, the Mountaineers were the ones trying to pull away from their opponent, but the Wildcats continued to answer even when they went down by multiple scores and double digits with under 10 minutes left in the contest.

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A flurry to close things out where Trey Townsend made a layup and Caleb Love hit a 3-pointer to tie things up with 14 seconds left pushed Arizona into overtime.

Unfortunately, the extra period was where things got away from them.

With this loss, they are now under .500 with a 3-4 record.

Inconsistent shooting continues to plague Arizona, as they struggled from behind the arc again by going 7-21 from 3-point range for a 33.3% shooting clip.

Love and Townsend had big games with them scoring 24 and 19 points respectively, although the senior guard went 9-20 from the floor and 4-12 from three. KJ Lewis and Jaden Bradley joined them in double figures with 10 points each.

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It wasn’t enough, though, as they struggled to stop Tucker DeVries who had a game-high 26 points, and Toby Okani who had 20.

Arizona will now travel back home from the Bahamas with even more questions than they had coming into this event.

They’ll return to the floor in game action on Dec. 7 as they take on Southern Utah at the McKale Center at 12 p.m. MST.



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Why is Popular Bracketologist Still Considering West Virginia for NCAA Tournament?

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Why is Popular Bracketologist Still Considering West Virginia for NCAA Tournament?


Losing to Kansas State wiped away all hope for West Virginia to make the NCAA Tournament. That seems to be the clear consensus in the Mountain State, but is there actually still a chance? Well, I guess so.

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ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi still has West Virginia listed as a team to consider, the second team outside of the “next four out” grouping.

Lunardi’s current NCAA Tournament bubble

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Feb 28, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Honor Huff (3) shoots a three point shot over BYU Cougars guard Robert Wright III (1) during the second half at Hope Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

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Last Four Byes: Missouri, Texas A&M, Texas, Ohio State

Last Four In: SMU, Santa Clara, New Mexico, Indiana

First Four Out: VCU, Auburn, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati

Next Four Out: San Diego State, USC, California, Seton Hall

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Next: Stanford, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona State

How is this even possible?

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Feb 28, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Ross Hodge watched a play from the sideline during the first half against the BYU Cougars at Hope Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

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Short answer? I don’t really know.

My best guess as to why? Two things: the respect for the Big 12 and the opportunities left on the table, and two, an incredibly weak bubble.

Should West Virginia beat UCF on Friday, it will give the Mountaineers a 9-9 record in Big 12 play. That’s not as much of a guarantee to make the dance as having a winning record, but still, it’s an impressive mark, especially when, in this instance, they would have wins over Kansas, BYU, and sweeps over Cincinnati and UCF.

If you ask me, they still have too many bad losses for it to matter. I mean, even if they got red-hot out of nowhere and made it to the Big 12 championship game next week, is that enough? Potentially, but that’s a big IF.

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The one thing WVU does have on its side is the number of Quad 1 wins, which they have five of. Virtually every other team in college basketball that has a minimum of five Quad 1 victories is expected to make the tournament. In that previously mentioned scenario, they would add at least one more Quad 1 win in the conference tournament, giving the committee something to think about.

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The bubble is just incredibly weak, though. Like, how in the world is Auburn, who is 16-14 currently, the second team out of the field? Cincinnati, which WVU swept and has the same record as, is the fourth team in the “first four out” grouping.

At this point, the only path I see is for the Mountaineers to cut down the nets in Kansas City — good luck with that. We could be having a very different conversation if they didn’t lallygag their way through the first 30 minutes of the games against Utah and Kansas State.



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Buckle up: West Virginia launching seatbelt enforcement campaign Friday

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Buckle up: West Virginia launching seatbelt enforcement campaign Friday


Buckle up, Upshur County. Starting Friday, March 6, law enforcement officers across West Virginia will step up seatbelt enforcement as part of a statewide Click It or Ticket campaign running through March 23.

The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) announced the high-visibility mobilization as a warm-up to the national seatbelt campaign in May. The goal is to ensure every occupant — front seat or back, driver or passenger — is buckled on every trip.

“During this mobilization, law enforcement officers across West Virginia will be out in full force. They will be strictly ticketing drivers who are unbuckled or who are transporting children not properly restrained in car seats,” said Jack McNeely, Director of the GHSP.

The numbers behind the campaign are sobering. In 2023, 40% of passenger vehicle occupants killed in West Virginia crashes were unrestrained. The state’s seatbelt usage rate has also slipped — from 91.9% in 2024 to 91.6% in 2025.

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Rural drivers face elevated risk despite a common assumption that country roads are safer. In 2023, 65% of the state’s traffic fatalities occurred in rural areas, compared to 35% in urban centers.

Under West Virginia law, wearing a seatbelt is required. A citation carries a $25 fine, though McNeely says the real point isn’t the penalty.

“Click It or Ticket isn’t about the citations; it’s about saving lives,” he said. “A ticket is a wake-up call. It is far less expensive than the alternative — paying with your life or the lives of your family and friends.”

For more information about the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov or call 304-926-2509.



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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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