Mountaineers show little fight

DAILY MAIL SPORTSWRITER

WASHINGTON - If there is any madness surrounding the psyche ofWest Virginia University's basketball team in this March, theinsanity is internal. There was little vigor, fight or even anunsolicited yell from the Mountaineers Wednesday night in the firstgame of the month that is generally considered college basketball'sfinest.

"I don't know what it came to tonight," WVU point guard Tim Lylessaid.

Because of family to speak with after the game, Lyles lingeredwhile most of his teammates and coaches quickly hit the bus for thethree-hour ride to Morgantown. After Wednesday's 72-54 humbling by apedestrian Georgetown team before an announced 7,189 at the MCICenter, it is a safe bet every loose bolt and squeaking engine beltcould have been heard by the passengers.

The Mountaineers (13-13, 5-10 in Big East) thus have one moreopportunity to gain a pinch of momentum entering next week's leaguetournament. They face Rutgers (15-13, 6-9) at noon Saturday inWheeling in a game WVU must win to maintain any serious hopes of anNIT berth.

Losses in 7-of-8 games since January have crippled the confidenceof the Mountaineers. Any good Saturday's one-point loss atConnecticut did likely evaporated in front of about 15,000 emptypurple seats and an aggressive Hoya team (16-12, 6-9).

"I think we got confidence from our jump shots," Hoya Coach CraigEsherick said. "I would rather get that through rebounding andeffort. But with confidence, we played better defense."

A five-point victor over Georgetown in Charleston last month, WVUhelped the host by acting as lost on offense as an Americansuburbanite in an Algerian flea market. The Hoyas maintained adouble-figure lead for the final 29 minutes and thus earned theirlargest-by-margin league win this season. It also ended WVU's three-game, three-season win streak over Georgetown.

WVU received a strong game only from senior forward Marcus Goree,who led all scorers with 17 points and gathered five steals and twoblocks. Goree was abandoned by many of his teammates. Chris Moss' 12-rebound night can be countered with his nine turnovers. Off his 29-point evening at Connecticut, Calvin Bowman picked up three fouls inthe first 10 minutes and played just 22. He scored 12 points.Starting guards Lyles and Lionel Armstead combined to hit 2-of-14 (1-of-9 3-pointers) from the field.

Eventually, it came to this: seldom-used senior Brad McMillian'storrid final minute enabled WVU to crest 50. He hit a 3-pointer andwas fouled for a four-point play. Earlier in his only minute ofplay, he threw a no-look pass to Keith Kincade for a layup.

WVU hit 32 percent from the field (18-of-56), committed 19turnovers and was outrebounded 45-39. Against a team that is a farcry from Ewing-Mourning- Wingate-Jackson and the rest.

"I thought our zone bothered WVU," Esherick said. "Really, theydidn't do anything against it in the first half."

The Hoyas led 37-18 at intermission. Former Georgetown coach JohnThompson, in attendance Wednesday, could not have expected as muchfrom his powerhouses.

"(Connecticut) was an especially tough loss," Lyles said. "(TheHoyas') zone was like a 'Y'. They knew everything we were going todo."

Lyles also lamented the loss of Bowman to fouls and himself togenerally ineffective play.

"Calvin got in foul trouble," he said. "That was a big factor.... Lionel had to move to (point guard). He couldn't get his shotoff from there."

Consecutive first-half possessions were especialy brutal forthose with WVU concerns. Down 10-7, the Mountaineers were called fora 35-second violation. On the next trip, the shot clock was at "5"when guard Kevin Braswell stole a WVU pass 35 feet from the basket.

Braswell and forward Nate Burton each scored 16 to leadGeorgetown. The Hoyas have recently revamped their lineup, benching,among others, guard Anthony Perry and forward Victor Samnick.

"That was a heck of a way to end a three-game winning streakagainst Georgetown," WVU Coach Gale Catlett said. "To play likethat."

Writer Mike Cherry can be reached at 348-5170 or by e-mail atdmsports@dailymail.com.