• The Cincinnati Bearcats and West Virginia Mountaineers both seek their first Big 12 win of the season.
• West Virginia swept Cincinnati last season, winning both matchups between the two teams.
• Both teams are coming off losses to top-10 opponents to start their conference schedules.

Two teams that started the Big 12 campaign against Top 10 opponents clash in Morgantown Tuesday, Jan. 6, when the Cincinnati Bearcats face the West Virginia Mountaineers.

The Mountaineers, now coached by Ross Hodge, who came from North Texas, got whirled by the No. 3 Iowa State Cyclones on Jan. 2, 80-59. A day later, UC had plenty of chances against No. 8 Houston, but the Cougars closed in the final minutes to win 67-60.

“We’ve got to learn how to finish, but we’re right there,” UC coach Wes Miller said. “The guys in the locker room know it. We’ve got to block out the noise and get ready to play.”

Neither team will want to start 0-2 in the treacherous league and UC has not yet won in Morgantown since being part of the Big 12. UC’s last road win in West Virginia goes back to Mick Cronin’s second Bearcat team (13-19) that pulled off a 62-39 upset of the Mountaineers in 2008. Diehard fans may remember the game for a mustard-colored suit Bob Huggins wore for the contest.

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Cincinnati Bearcats were swept by West Virginia last season

Last Feb. 2, West Virginia beat UC handily 63-50. Current Bearcat Sencire Harris didn’t score for WVU in the game but had four steals. Eighteen days later in Morgantown, the Mountaineers prevailed again 62-59 with Harris scoring six points and grabbing six rebounds against his future team. UC was led by Day Day Thomas in both games with 10 and 13 points, respectively.

Cincinnati Bearcats could be without Kerr Kriisa

Kriisa, a starter for 12 of the 14 games, got hit hard by Houston after a basket and left the game holding his shoulder. He came back to hit his lone 3-pointer, then had to leave again with pain.

Kriisa was recruited to West Virginia by Bob Huggins and played in 2023-24 for the Mountaineers, averaging 11 points and shooting over 42% on 3-pointers.

“Nobody’s dealt with more injury crap than Cincinnati,” Miller said. “We’re getting resilient and we’re getting tough because of that. We’re just going to keep coming. Injuries are tough. We’ve had more than damn anybody in the last four years in all of college basketball. This team’s had its fair share and we’re still right there.”

Miller was worried about Kriisa’s injury and he couldn’t lift his left shoulder after draining his only shot.

3 keys for Cincinnati Bearcats to win at West Virginia Mountaineers

1. Bring Houston intensity to West Virginia

UC had its best crowd experience at Fifth Third Arena against No. 8 Houston with a halftime lead and a 10-point cushion early in the second half. For just the second time this season, they lost a game when they had a halftime lead.

That’s now two games where they had a Top 10 team on the ropes and couldn’t finish (No. 6 Louisville at Heritage Bank Center and No. 8 Houston). They looked like a tournament team in parts of those games, but then lost to teams who showed why they are perennial tournament players.

2. Locate Huff, Floyd

It sounds like someone looking for a law firm, but Honor Huff and Jasper Floyd are both 40% marksmen from three-point range. Huff led the country in triples last season at Chattanooga and Floyd comes from Coach Hodge’s system at North Texas. The Mountaineers average over eight made 3s per game, which is how many Houston made vs. UC Jan. 3.

The Bearcats made only six of their 3-pointers against the Cougars, after making 11 in their previous game with Lipscomb Dec. 29. UC is 5-1 when making 10 or more treys, with the one loss being Xavier. Xavier also beat West Virginia 78-68 in November, shooting a torrid 16-for-25 from the arc.

3. Keep Mountaineers below 70

West Virginia has been held to less than 70 points in four of their five losses. The exception is the 89-88 double-overtime defeat at Ohio State. UC held Houston below their average at 67 and is in that ballpark for the season. The difficult thing is all of West Virginia’s wins have been at home and Hope Coliseum could have a crowd because, well, it’s Tuesday night in Morgantown.

Tip: Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. at Hope Coliseum (14,000)

TV/Radio: ESPN2/700WLW

Series: WVU leads 13-12 (Mountaineers won at Fifth Third Arena Feb. 19, 2025, 62-59)

West Virginia Mountaineers scouting report

Record: 9-5

Coach: Ross Hodge, first season 9-5 (55-29 overall)

Offense: 74.9 ppg

Defense: 61.6 ppg

Projected starting lineup

(Position, Height, Stats)

Treysen Eaglestaff (G, 6’6″, 9.1 ppg)

Honor Huff (G, 5’10”, 16.6 ppg)

Harlan Obioha (C, 7′, 6.3 ppg)

Chance Moore (G, 6’6″, 12.9 ppg)

Jasper Floyd (G, 6’3″, 7.9 ppg)

Cincinnati Bearcats scouting report

Record: 8-6

Coach: Wes Miller (90-65, fifth season; 275-200 overall)

Offense: 74.6 ppg

Defense: 65.6 ppg

Projected starting lineup

(Position, Height, Stats)

Day Day Thomas (G, 6’1″, 13 ppg)

Jizzle James (G, 6’3″, 11.5 ppg)

Sencire Harris (G, 6’4″, 6.9 ppg)

Baba Miller (F, 6’11”, 13.4 ppg)

Moustapha Thiam (C, 7’2″, 11 ppg)

Cincinnati Bearcats, West Virginia Mountaineers to watch

Guard Honor Huff helped Chattanooga win the NIT and nailed a record 131 trifectas last season for the Moccasins, shooting 41.6%. Now he’s West Virginia’s top scorer and is shooting at a similar rate from beyond the arc.

In their second games as starters for this season, UC’s “Buck” Harris and Jizzle James were off against Houston, shooting a combined 2-for-14. James had just four points and Harris two.

Are you looking to win big? The West Virginia Lottery offers a variety of games if you think it’s your lucky day.

Lottery players in West Virginia can choose from popular national games like the Powerball and Mega Millions, which are available in the vast majority of states. Other games include Lotto America, Daily 3, Daily 4 and Cash 25. 

Big lottery wins around the U.S. include a lucky lottery ticketholder in California who won a $1.27 billion Mega Millions jackpot in December 2024. See more big winners here. And if you do end up cashing a jackpot, here’s what experts say to do first.

Here’s a look at Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 3 drawing

18-21-40-53-60, Powerball: 23, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Jan. 3 drawing

03-04-05-25-42, Star Ball: 03, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily 3 numbers from Jan. 3 drawing

1-3-9

Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily 4 numbers from Jan. 3 drawing

6-5-7-4

Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the West Virginia Lottery drawings held?

• Powerball: 11 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
• Mega Millions: 10:59 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
• Lotto America: 10:15 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
• Daily 3, 4: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday.
• Cash 25: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

John “Nolan” Hays

John “Nolan” Hays of Mineral Wells, West Virginia, passed away surrounded by loved ones on Christmas Day, December 25, 2025, in Parkersburg, West Virginia, at the age of 79.

Known as Nolan to his family and many of his friends, as John to most people he met while living in Mineral Wells or through business connections, none of these were as meaningful to him as his titles of Husband, Grandad, Father, Brother, Cousin, and Friend.

Born at home in Gilmer County, West Virginia, on July 31, 1946, to his loving parents, John Newton Hays and Floda “Irene” (Groves) Hays, Nolan had a happy childhood on his family farm where he learned by his parents’ example what was important in life, played with his dogs and work horses (Pat and Mike), and school friends, many of whom he remained close to throughout his long life. He often said that he couldn’t have had better parents, better friends, or a better childhood.

Nolan was the only child of his parents’ marriage and had four older sisters-Viona, Jean, Betty Joe, and Marge. He maintained close and loving relationships with each of them and with their families. Nolan’s friends from his time in Glenville and Mineral Wells also became like family to him, and he loved each of them deeply.

Nolan attended Glenville High School, where he graduated in 1964 as a varsity letterman in football, baseball, and basketball. His friends recall that he was an excellent athlete and a wonderful friend.

From Glenville High, he went on to study at Glenville State College, where he met his extraordinary wife, Patricia Ann Greer.

Nolan made what he would call the best decision of his life when he married his wife, Patricia, on May 4, 1968. Their marriage has been a beautiful example of true love to the family, and their devotion to one another was unparalleled. Nolan and Patricia cared tirelessly for each other and remained devoted through each of life’s triumphs and trials for the entirety of their 57 years of marriage.

Soon after marrying, Nolan enlisted in the United States Army Reserves. He remained proud of his service to his country.

Nolan and Patricia had two sons early in their marriage, Joe and Shawn, of whom he was immensely proud. He was a loving, proud, and devoted father who was actively involved in every aspect of his sons’ lives, providing them with yearly family trips, coaching their sports teams, and being a vocal spectator at their events. Some of his most cherished memories were golfing with his sons, and he often said that a game of golf with them was the best gift he could receive. Joe and Shawn loved, respected, and admired their father deeply and felt that they were the luckiest kids in the world to have him as a father.

Nolan was an equally devoted grandfather to his four adoring granddaughters-Morgan, Caroline, Samantha, and Aniston-who esteem him as the best Grandad who ever walked the earth. He will be remembered by his granddaughters as the smell of cigar smoke, a sunny day on a golf course; as someone who would have died for them, who loved his family fiercely; as the best-dressed man in the room, a master of dry humor, a talented golfer, a gifted storyteller, and one of their best friends.

Nolan had a long and fulfilling career in banking and business. Throughout his career, he worked at various banks and savings & loan establishments; he retired from Williamstown National Bank, where he was senior vice president and served on the board of directors. He was known to give people a chance, to give them the gift of their first home or their own business, when no one else would.

Aside from family and friends, Nolan’s greatest passion was golf. He spent countless hours golfing with friends and even played the legendary course at St. Andrews in Scotland, where he traveled with his wife Patricia and friends. Nolan also loved the beach, where he spent much of his time. He loved to travel, and saw much of the world.

At home, he could be found on the front porch on nice days (when not on the golf course), smoking a cigar and talking to the neighbors who passed by. On game days, he could be found watching the Mountaineers play in his chair on the back porch.

Nolan was amazingly generous, unfailingly brave, and so very kind. He exhorted those he loved to be the very best they could be, and he had the kind of voice that people want to listen to.

Nolan was preceded in death by his parents, John and Irene Hays; his sisters-Viona, Jean, Betty Joe, and Marge; and his brother, Charles Newton, who died in childhood before Nolan was born.

Nolan’s memory is cherished by his peerlessly devoted wife of 57 years, Patricia Ann Hays; his two loving sons, John Joseph Hays and wife Kris (of Clarksburg, West Virginia) and Shawn Patrick Hays and wife Liza Taylor (of Whittier, California); his four adoring granddaughters-Morgan Virginia Hays Riddle, Caroline Olivia Hays, Samantha Jo Hays, and Aniston Patricia Hays Riddle (great-granddaughter); innumerable friends, cherished golfing buddies, and beloved family members; and his pet cat, whom he lovingly called “Pup.”

Nolan was a great man, and his family will carry on his memory and legacy with honor, gratitude, and love.

A Memorial Service will be held Tuesday, December 30, 2025 at 3:00 pm at the Leavitt Funeral Home, Parkersburg with Reverend Chuck Furbee officiating.

Visitation will be Tuesday 1-3pm at the funeral home.

Donations may be made in his memory to House to Homes, 827 7th Street, Parkersburg, WV 26101.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.LeavittFuneralHome.com.