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As Mountaineers try to regain winning form, more offensive production a necessity – WV MetroNews

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As Mountaineers try to regain winning form, more offensive production a necessity – WV MetroNews


MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As West Virginia tries to battle through its longest and lone losing streak this season, first-year head coach Darian DeVries has made it known desired results can’t become a reality until the Mountaineers display defensive improvement.

“When we’re good, it’s our defense,” DeVries said. “We’ve talked about shooting and all that stuff. It just doesn’t matter. When we guard, that’s where our group has a chance to be special and can do some really good things against good teams.”

Yet as WVU has allowed its last three opponents to shoot a combined 47.8 percent, the Mountaineers have lacked offense in losses to Arizona State, Kansas State and most recently Houston, when DeVries’ team was held to a season-low 49 points and matched the program’s lowest point total since February 2020 loss to Kansas. 

Slow starts and poor perimeter shooting have plagued the Mountaineers (13-7, 4-5), as they were held to 19 points over the first 20 minutes in Wednesday’s 14-point setback to the Cougars. 

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It marked the third straight game the Mountaineers went to halftime with 23 or fewer points, and over that stretch, they have made 23-of-80 field-goal attempts in the first half, including 6-of-34 three-pointers.

“That’s completely on the players,” WVU swingman Toby Okani said. “Our coaches do everything they need to do to get us prepared for every game plan and they have terrific scouts. We have to want it more. We haven’t arrived and we know that. We have to play with more confidence on the defensive end.”

West Virginia shot a plenty respectable 20 for 43 against the nation’s top defensive team Wednesday, but the Mountaineers hardly attempted more than a shot per minute after finishing with 12 turnovers and being out-rebounded 34-19, including 13-5 on the offensive end.

“They play at a very slow tempo and we’re their cousin,” Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson said. “We’re right there with them. It isn’t like we’re the ’90 Vegas team now.”

The Mountaineers have failed to surpass 60 points and are shooting 37.3 percent (63 for 169) during the ongoing skid. That percentage has been significantly hampered by an inability to hit from the perimeter, with the Mountaineers a dismal 12 for 68 on three-pointers since knocking off then-No. 2 Iowa State back on January 18.

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Javon Small and Jonathan Powell made two triples apiece Wednesday to comprise all of WVU’s production from behind the arc as the Mountaineers finished 4 for 18. That duo has accounted for 92 of the team’s 177 treys this season, but both are 5 for 19 on triples during the losing streak.

Amani Hansberry, third on the squad among available players with 22 threes, has made 1-of-14 three-point attempts starting with the loss to the Sun Devils.

“I guess we could try punting them in. JP’s had a rough week, but he’s a really good shooter, so he has to continue to shoot,” DeVries said. “His percentages are going to equal out by the end of the year. Unfortunately, he’s going through a little bit of a shooting slump. 

“Amani [Hansberry] hasn’t shot it well. [Wednesday] we tried to put more of an emphasis on getting downhill and getting to the rim, but your shooters have to shoot them when they’re open. Otherwise, you’re just going to be driving into people that are waiting for you with three guys at the rim. JP had some great looks. I want him to take all eight of those again. Hopefully, on Sunday it’s a 5 for 8, because it will be at some point. This week has been really tough shooting the ball.”

Jan 29, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Javon Small (7) shoots a three point basket during the first half against the Houston Cougars at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Small, WVU’s leader in a number of statistical categories and the Big 12’s top scorer with an average of 19.1 points, continues to receive about as much attention as he possibly can from opponents.

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Wednesday marked the first time in a West Virginia uniform that Small failed to reach double-figure scoring as he was limited to eight points on 3-for-7 shooting. 

While Small scored 22 points in the loss to the Wildcats, he was held in check the previous game and scored 10 of his 14 points on free throws, while shooting 2 for 11 against the Sun Devils.

Regularly being double teamed when he possesses the ball and brings it into the front court, Small is also playing off the ball some as the Mountaineers ask Sencire Harris, Joseph Yesufu and KJ Tenner to fill the role of point guard. That’s in an effort to try and free the 6-foot-3 Small.

“As a staff, offensively, we’re searching to find more ways to get people involved,” DeVries said. “We don’t have a low post threat that you can just throw it into every time. We were able to with Amani [Wednesday] off of mismatches, but night in, night out, that’s probably not to our advantage. We have to find different ways to get Toby posted. Maybe it’s Amani off a switch. Find more driving opportunities, so we can get downhill and get more of those kick out threes. 

“Otherwise, you end up playing a lot of windshield wiper offense and it’s hard to score when you get that way. Javon was so good for such a long period of time. We rode that as long as we could, but it’s gotten more difficult as we get deeper into league play and people start to copycat how to defend certain players on your roster. They’re certainly doing that with Javon. He’s getting doubled and he’s getting it out of there. We have to do a better job of being more efficient on the back end of that.”

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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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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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