National Basketball Association
West Virginia 65, Connecticut 56
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Where: WVU Coliseum, Morgantown, West Virginia
Officials:
# James Breeding, # Jim Burr, # Michael Stephens
Attendance:
13241
By SportsDirect Inc.
Joe Mazzulla matched a career high with 18 points, and host West Virginia limited No. 16 Connecticut to just two field goals over the final 11 minutes in a 65-56 triumph Wednesday night.
Kevin Jones added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and John Flowers had seven points and six boards for the Mountaineers (19-10, 10-7), who are tied for sixth in the Big East with one game remaining. The top eight earn a first-round tournament bye.
Kemba Walker netted 15 of his game-high 22 points in the second half for the Huskies (21-8, 9-8), but the nation's seventh-leading scorer made only one of his last nine shots.
Mazzulla, a fifth-year senior, eclipsed his 6.8 points per-game average less than five minutes in to fuel the Mountaineers to an 11-2 lead. He scored half of WVU's 28 points in the first half, and after the Huskies took their first lead with 25 seconds remaining, he swished a 3-pointer to give the Mountaineers a two-point halftime edge.
Freshman Shabazz Napier more than doubled his season average with 18 points for the Huskies.
WVU plays host to No. 11 Louisville in Saturday's finale, while Connecticut welcomes No. 7 Notre Dame.
Top Game Performances
| Connecticut |
|
West Virginia |
|
Kemba Walker 22 |
Scoring |
Joe Mazzulla 18 |
|
Shabazz Napier 3 |
Assists |
Cam Thoroughman 6 |
|
Alex Oriakhi 9 |
Rebounds |
Kevin Jones 10 |
|
Shabazz Napier 3 |
Free Throws Made |
Darryl Bryant 7 |
|
Shabazz Napier 3 |
Steals |
John Flowers 2 |
|
Shabazz Napier 1 |
Blocks |
John Flowers 2 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
| Connecticut
|
56 |
37.3 |
7-20 |
5-7 |
7 |
23 |
1 |
6 |
|
| West Virginia
|
65 |
46.8 |
5-12 |
16-24 |
17 |
30 |
6 |
4 |
|
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