The Sports Xchange
Dec 23, 2017
Daxter Miles Jr. scored 21 points, and Jevon Carter finished with 10 points and 12 assists, as No. 10 West Virginia dispatched Fordham 86-69 on Saturday in Morgantown, W.Va.
Lamont West chipped in 15 points for the Mountaineers (11-1), who will enter Big 12 play on an 11-game winning streak. Sagaba Donate also had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, helping West Virginia to a 44-28 edge on the boards.
Will Tavares scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half for Fordham (5-7), which also got 16 from Joseph Chartouny.
While the Mountaineers never trailed over the final 38 minutes, they endured some uncomfortable second-half stretches. Fordham, a 28-point underdog, drew within 46-41 on a layup by Will Tavares, who later converted a conventional three-point play to tighten the margin to 70-64 with 6:15 left.
That's when WVU's transition attack took control. The Mountaineers closed the game on a 16-5 run as the Rams missed 10 of their final 12 shots.
Carter picked up his third foul with 10:03 left and was charged with his fourth foul while defending the ensuing inbounds pass. That left Miles to run the offense, and the senior responded with 12 points and three assists the rest of the way.
NOTES: West Virginia finished 10 of 30 from 3-point range, struggling to break down the Rams' zone. ... Mountaineers F Lamont West's nine rebounds were a career-high as the sophomore returned from a sprained ankle. ... With No. 830, coach Bob Huggins equaled Jim Phelan for seventh place on the Division I all-time wins list. ... Fordham committed 17 turnovers, only five in the second half, against "Press Virginia."