West Virginia

Mountaineers dominate second half to move past Coppin State, 91-49 – WV MetroNews

Published

3 months ago

December 4, 2025

Mountaineers dominate second half to move past Coppin State, 91-49 – WV MetroNews

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The opening few minutes of Wednesday’s matchup with Coppin State didn’t represent anything close to West Virginia’s best basketball.

Not everything that transpired the remainder of the matchup did either, but it was far better and helped produce a 91-49 victory over the Eagles inside Hope Coliseum.

“We’ve been a fairly fast-starting team, but didn’t think we had it, whatever it is,” WVU head coach Ross Hodge said. “We were a step slow defensively, had a hard time keeping the ball out of the paint. They drove and we fouled early, which is typically a sign that we were late. We had some definite reactionary fouls early on.”

After West Virginia (7-2) forward Brenen Lorient scored on the game’s first possession, the Eagles (2-9) ran off nine unanswered points for their largest lead.

Even after the Mountaineers displayed signs of life and got to within 11-9, there were forgetful moments. Honor Huff made only the last of four free throws that followed two technical fouls assessed to Coppin State head coach Larry Stewart, who was ejected 6:31 into the action.

Treysen Eaglestaff’s three-pointer that broke a 13-all tie put WVU ahead to stay and marked the start of an 11-0 run that culminated with Chance Moore scoring from close range.

Huff accounted for a trio of treys over the final 5:26 of the opening half, the last of which left WVU with its largest lead to that point at 40-26.

Coppin State countered with six consecutive points to end the half, getting four from Tyler Koenig and two free throws from Hassan Perkins to trail by eight at the intermission.

At the break, 19 of WVU’s 31 field-goal attempts were threes, and the Mountaineers finished with 34 of their 64 shot attempts from beyond the arc. WVU made 11 triples and 19 two-point field goals.

“They collapsed on us when we drove, and that’s why we shot 34 threes,” Hodge said. “I thought about 28 of them were actually really good shots. If you could get past the initial line, then you were laying it up.”

Perkins accounted for the Eagles’ first bucket of the second half to trim the WVU advantage to 42-34, before the home team ran off the next 14 points to open up a comfortable advantage. Five different Mountaineers — Harlan Obioha, Huff, Lorient, Amir Jenkins and DJ Thomas — scored a stretch of more than 4 minutes that saw the Eagles go from within striking distance to an insurmountable deficit.

“Our guys responded well in the second half with the physicality,” Hodge said.

WVU outscored the Eagles 23-5 over the final 7:24 and 51-17 in the second half after being challenged by Hodge to put forth a better showing

“He was fired up for sure,” Moore said. “He was just holding us accountable. He knows we’re better than what we played in the first half. He challenged us to be better and produce and that’s what we did in the second half.”

The Mountaineers gained their first 30-point lead on the first of two Jenkins free throws for a 77-47 advantage at the 4:29 mark.

Coppin State made 7-of-28 field-goal attempts after halftime and committed 10 of its 15 turnovers over that time as well.

“We guarded the ball better in the second half. We kept the ball in front of us,” Hodge said. “Our activity level increased and that was the biggest difference. To start the game, they drove us right down the seams and shot layups on us.”

Moore and Huff scored 17 apiece to pace the Mountaineers. Moore made 6-of-8 shots and 5-of-6 free throws, while registering double-figure scoring for the third time in four games as a Mountaineer.

Huff made five threes and 14 of his 15 field-goal attempts were from long range.

Lorient scored 12 and Eaglestaff added 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

“If I keep working, I’m going to be more confident, which the work has never bothered me, so I’m going to keep doing it,” Eaglestaff said.

Free throws continue to be at least somewhat problematic for West Virginia, which was No. 255 nationally through eight games with a 68.9 percentage. The Mountaineers were 8 of 16 at halftime before displaying significant second-half improvement to finish 20 for 33.

Perkins led Coppin State with 11 points.

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West Virginia

West Virginia Scoots Up in Top 25 Rankings After Taking Series From Kennesaw State

Published

7 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

West Virginia Scoots Up in Top 25 Rankings After Taking Series From Kennesaw State

Another successful weekend for the West Virginia Mountaineers results in another slight bump up in the top 25 rankings. WVU took two of three from Kennesaw State on the road, allowing them to slide up to No. 23 in D1Baseball’s new batch of rankings.

D1Baseball’s Top 25 for Week 3

1. UCLA
2. LSU
3. Texas
4. Mississippi State
5. Georgia Tech
6. Arkansas
7. Auburn
8. North Carolina
9. Florida
10. Southern Miss
11. Georgia
12. Oklahoma
13. NC State
14. Clemson
15. Wake Forest
16. Coastal Carolina
17. TCU
18. Oregon State
19. Tennessee
20. Florida State
21. Kentucky
22. Texas A&M
23. West Virginia
24. Miami
25. UTSA

Missed opportunity

West Virginia had a 6-0 lead in game three of its series against Kennesaw State, looking well on their way to a clean three-game sweep of the Owls.

Unfortunately for Steve Sabins, the bullpen imploded following another strong five-inning outing from the big lefty Maxx Yehl. Bryson Thacker, Carson Estridge, and David Perez combined to give up four runs on five hits over the final three innings, allowing the Owls to steal Sunday’s game.

The loss frustrated West Virginia fans and rightfully so, but there’s no need to panic. The name of the game is to continue winning the series. You do that, you’ll find yourself in a position to make the NCAA Tournament and earn a high seed. Obviously, you don’t want to blow the opportunity of a sweep, especially when you’re up 6-0, but it’s not a loss that is going to ruin their resume. Losing the series, on the other hand, would have.

What’s next for the Mountaineers?

No single mid-week game this week for West Virginia. Instead, they’ll play a quick two-game series against Radford at home beginning Tuesday. They’ll get one day of rest before opening up a three-game series at home against Columbia, which will be the final series of non-conference play. WVU will have a single mid-week game against Maryland on Tuesday, March 10th, before beginning Big 12 action on the road against Baylor.

The full remaining schedule

Mar. 2-4 Radford

Mar. 6-8 Columbia

Mar 10 Maryland

Mar 13-15 at Baylor

Mar. 17 Penn State

Mar. 29-21 BYU

Mar. 24 at Marshall

Mar. 27-29 at Arizona State

Mar. 31 at Arizona

Apr. 3-5 UCF

Apr. 7 Marshall

Apr. 10-12 at Texas Tech

Apr. 15 at Penn State

Apr. 17-19 Houston

Apr. 21 Pitt

Apr. 24-26 at Cincinnati

Apr. 29 at Penn State

May 1-3 Kansas State

May 5 Marshall (Charleston, WV)

May 8-10 at Kansas

May 14-16 TCU

May 20-23 Big 12 Championship (Surprise, AZ)

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West Virginia

West Virginia Surrenders Six-Run Lead, Falls in Series Finale to Kennesaw State

Published

19 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

West Virginia Surrenders Six-Run Lead, Falls in Series Finale to Kennesaw State

West Virgnia built a six-run lead through five and half innings, but the Kennesaw State Owls (5-5) scored seven unanswered runs in three frames to knock off the Mountaineers (8-2) Sunday afternoon 7-6.

West Virginia captured an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first after sophomore Matt Ineich hit a leadoff single before sophomore Gavin Kelly and senior Paul Schoenfeld were issued walks to load the bases with two outs on the board. Then, redshirt freshman Ryan Maggy line a two-RBI single to centerfield in his first career start.

The Mountaineers extended their lead in the second when Kelly hit a three went opposite field for a three-run home run, his first of the season, for a 5-0 advantage.

West Virginia starting southpaw pitcher Maxx Yehl threw five scoreless innings. The redshirt junior recorded four strikeouts on the day and limited the Owls to four hits.

Kelly added a run in the sixth, clearing the centerfield wall for his second home run of the afternoon and a 6-0 WVU lead.

Redshirt sophomore Bryson Thacker took the mound in the six. After a high and wide throw on a ground ball, a walk, and with two outs, junior Cooper Williams drooped an RBI single in right field to put the Owls on the board. Then, a pitch in the dirt rolled to the backstop to add another run, closing the gap to four, 6-2.

Carson Estridge was handed the ball in the seventh. The senior right-hander gave up a leadoff double before registering the next two outs, including a strikeout, before freshman McCollum line an RBI single just out of the reach of the glove of Kelly. Senior Jackson Chirello cut the deficit one, hammering the 3-1 pitch well over the right field wall and into the Waffle House parking lot for a two-run home run.

West Virginia head coach Steve Sabins turned to the clubhouse leader in saves David Perez to get the Mountaineers out of the inning. The freshman returned to the mound in the eighth. Senior Jamarie Brooks reached after hitting a sharp ground ball over to first that went between the legs of senior Ben Lumsden. Then, Williams blasted a two-run home run and a 7-6 Owls lead.

In the ninth, senior Matthew Graveline nearly tied the game with the swing of the bat, driving 0-2 pitch off the top of the left field wall for a one-out double to put the Mountaineers into scoring position. However, redshirt senior Harry Cain sat the last two Mountaineer hitters to collect his second win of the season as the Owls completed the comeback with the 7-6 decision.

West Virginia is back in action on Tuesday for the first of a two-game series against Radford. Game one and game two (Weds) are both scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and the all the action will stream on ESPN+.

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West Virginia

Delegate Larry Kump, master of various catch phrases, has died – WV MetroNews

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Delegate Larry Kump of Berkeley County has died, state officials announced. Kump was 78 years old.

Larry Kump

Kump, a Republican, served in the House from 2010 to 2014, again from 2018 to 2020 and finally 2022 to the present. He had announced plans to run again in the coming electoral cycle.

“As a battle-tested and liberty minded Christian and Constitutional Conservative, my consecrated action principles of good governance remains solid and steadfast,” he wrote to supporters in January.

He had been serving in the ongoing legislative session, but had been absent in recent weeks.

The daily prayer in the House of Delegates this past Wednesday included an expression of concern for Kump: “A special prayer for Delegate Larry Kump. Lord, you know where he is in the hospital now, and I pray right now that you would send your angels there to touch him, to be with him.”

Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Kump’s death on social media, calling Kump “a devoted public servant who dedicated many years of his life to improving West Virginia.

“Delegate Kump served with a deep commitment to the principles he believed would strengthen our communities and protect our freedoms.

“On behalf of the First Lady and myself, we extend our condolences to Larry’s family, friends, former colleagues, and all those who had the privilege of knowing and serving alongside him. His legacy of service and his love for our state will never be forgotten.”

Secretary of State Kris Warner also posted condolences to Kump’s family. “Larry was a conservative Christian and a true Mountaineer! He will be sadly missed by his friends and colleagues,” Warner posted.

The West Virginia Democratic Party also put out a statement to offer condolences, saying Kump’s work reflected a lifelong commitment to accountability, public policy, and the effective administration of government.

“Delegate Larry Kump devoted his life to his family, his community, and to his state. He brought experience, independence and thoughtfulness to his role, and he never lost sight of the people he served,” said Mike Pushkin, the Democratic Party chairman who is also a delegate from Kanawha County.

Kump was known for his turns of phrase, for example kicking off his comments on the House floor with “Great googly moogly” for emphasis. He often described his adoration for his “beloved and bodacious wife Cheryl.”

He regularly concluded interactions and written communications this way: “Meanwhile, and for sure and for certain, may God bless you all real good!”

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