MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Chance Moore had 11 points and eight rebounds, Amir Jenkins scored 10 points, and West Virginia beat Mercyhurst 70-38 on Sunday.
Treysen Eaglestaff had nine points and eight rebounds and Brenen Lorient scored all his nine points in the first half for West Virginia (6-2).
Mercyhurst’s 38 points were the fewest allowed by the Mountaineers since Coppin State also scored 38 on Dec. 20, 2017.
WVU scored the first 10 points in a 16-2 opening run and never trailed. The Lakers scored 13 of the next 15 points — which included 3-pointers 35 seconds apart by Bernie Blunt — to trim their deficit to three a little more than nine minutes into the game but got no closer.
West Virginia scored the final eight points in a 21-7 spurt to close the first half and took a 17-point lead into the intermission. The Mountaineers shot 64% (16 of 25 from the field, scored 13 points off nine Mercyhurst turnovers, and built a 21-2 advantage in bench points in the opening period.
Blunt led Mercyhurst (3-5) with 14 points and no other Lakers player scored more than six.
West Virginia had been coming off back-to-back losses to Clemson, 70-67, and Xavier, 78-68, at the Charleston Classic under first-year coach Ross Hodge. Hodge led North Texas to the semifinals of the 2024 NIT and a 27-win season last year.
The Mountaineers shot 65% from the free-throw line, where they were plus-12scoring. Mercyhurst made just 1 of 8 (13%) foul shots.
Jackson Fields made his debut for West Virginia after missing the first seven games of the season due to a wrist injury. The 6-foot-8 senior transfer from Troy finished with nine points on 3-of-5 shooting in 12 minutes.
Up next
Mercyhurst: The Lakers play Friday at Lafayette.
West Virginia: The Mountaineers host Coppin State on Wednesday.
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