MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The first two games at Hope Coliseum showed what West Virginia can do when the shots fall. Thursday’s 75–61 win over Mercer showed how the Mountaineers can get through a night when they don’t. Up just 31–28 at halftime, WVU scored 44 after the break to finish its opening homestand 3–0.
West Virginia made only seven of 27 threes after shooting 42.6 percent from deep through its first two games. The Mountaineers found points at the foul line instead, making 22 of 30 free throws. Mercer made 11 of 12. That 11-point difference at the stripe accounted for most of the final margin.
Cam Cook and Michael Hawkins Jr. give West Virginia a way to control the game. Keeping Isaiah Marshall from extending drives could decide whether the Mountaineers get their sixth win.
TMSWV.COM Editorial Desk · Pregame analysis
West Virginia scored 48 points at Texas Tech and still spent the last minutes of the game chasing the lead. A 21-point third quarter had put the Mountaineers ahead 48–41, but they went scoreless in the fourth and lost 53–48. With Kansas coming to Morgantown on Saturday, the question is whether WVU can get the stop and put together the drive it needed in Lubbock.
The Mountaineers (5–4, 2–4 Big 12) can get to six wins at home. Kansas (3–6, 1–5) has its own reason to think a close game will go differently this week. The Jayhawks lost 33–32 to UCF, even with Isaiah Marshall throwing for 210 yards and running for 125 and two touchdowns. His ability to turn a third-down scramble into a fresh set of downs is the matchup I’d watch first.
West Virginia’s quiet dynasty deserves a louder spotlight
Twenty-one NCAA championships. Back-to-back titles. A Mountaineer standard worth knowing by name.
Some of West Virginia’s finest sporting moments arrive with a roar. Rifle asks us to pay attention to something quieter: the concentration behind a single shot, the pressure of a narrowing margin, and the discipline to do it all again. This is a program that has made excellence part of the university’s identity.
With consecutive national championships in 2025 and 2026, the Mountaineers enter this season chasing a third straight crown. That history deserves more than a passing mention. It deserves a place where fans can meet the athletes, follow their performances and understand why every point matters.
Our new Rifle Team page brings that story together: a photo roster, team results and individual statistics, a championship wall, and a spectator’s guide to smallbore, air rifle and the equipment behind the competition. Whether you already follow the range or are discovering the sport, this is your invitation to look closer.
The standard is already there. Let’s give it the attention it has earned.
Precision in focus · AI-created target illustration.
Statistical keys are withheld until both teams have a verified current-season sample.
Three keys for WVU
Matchup cautions
No large disadvantage in these offensive averagesOffense-to-offense averages do not measure defensive strength. Monitor protection, turnovers and game-day availability.
Max Anderson is our command player to follow against Kansas. His position puts him close to one of the game's important decisions: how WVU sustains its drives. Watch how he handles third down and decides when to throw or take off. Against Kansas, those choices could be the difference between a promising possession and a scoring drive.
Lawrence Autry is our offensive matchup to follow against Kansas. His position puts him close to one of the game's important decisions: how WVU turns opportunities into first downs. Watch the carries that keep WVU out of third-and-long, not just the runs that make the highlights. Keeping the ground game moving would give the Mountaineers more ways to attack Kansas.
Andrew Powdrell is our defensive response to follow against Kansas. His position puts him close to one of the game's important decisions: how WVU keeps the opponent from extending possessions. Watch his positioning before the pass arrives and his tackling after the catch. Against Kansas, preventing one routine completion from becoming a big play could change a possession.
