Post by rainman on Nov 25, 2007 9:26:53 GMT -5
Alexander scores 16 in WVU win
NEWARK, N.J. — While Da’Sean Butler didn’t get a chance to spend much time with his family in his return to Newark, the hug from his mom and his second-half performance for West Virginia against New Mexico State made the trip well worth it.
Butler scored nine points in a decisive 21-4 second-half spurt that carried the Mountaineers to a 75-61 victory in the consolation game of the StubHub! Legends Classic on Saturday.
“It was nice to get a hug from mom instead of talking to her on the phone,” Butler said after West Virginia (3-1) gained a split in its two games at the new Prudential Center.
The building in the downtown area of New Jersey’s largest city is about five minutes from where Butler grew up.
“I feel great, even though I didn’t get a chance to spent a lot of time with my family,” Butler said. “It was great.”
Joe Alexander led the Mountaineers with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Butler and Alex Ruoff added 13 apiece, while Darris Nichols had 11.
“He played big when he was home last year against Seton Hall and Rutgers,” Alexander said of Butler. “Da’Sean has been clutch when he’s been home.”
West Virginia’s defense limited the Aggies (2-4) to 40 percent shooting from the field and forced 19 turnovers.
Jonathan Gibson led New Mexico State with 14 points, but only two came in the second half. Fred Peete added 11 and Hatila Passos had 10 and nine rebounds.
Justin Hawkins, the Aggies’ second-leading scorer, did not play because of a strained knee.
“The east coast has been very, very bad to me,” New Mexico State coach Marvin Menzies said. “Even when I was at Louisville, we were bad in New York and New Jersey.”
New Mexico State trailed by three at halftime but got going early in the second half. Passos scored inside twice to start and end an 8-0 run that gave the Aggies a 41-37 lead.
After that, though, it was all West Virginia, the defending NIT champions who are now coached by Bob Huggins.
“Coach Huggins halftime speeches are pretty famous,” Alexander said of the secondhalf turnaround. “He just lays into us and tells us what we are doing and, today, we responded.”
Butler got the Mountaineers going. He banked in a short shot, scored on a fastbreak and added a 3-pointer after a backdoor layup by Nichols for a 46-41 lead.
Londale Theus hit a layup for the Aggies to cut the lead to three points, but Wellington Smith, another New Jersey product (Summit) dunked on a fastbreak. Butler then hit from the baseline and Smith added a free throw for a 51-43 lead.
Alexander helped cap the run with a 3-pointer as the shot clock went off and a rebound follow. When Nichols scored the lead was 58-45.
The Mountaineers led by as many as 19 points.
NEWARK, N.J. — While Da’Sean Butler didn’t get a chance to spend much time with his family in his return to Newark, the hug from his mom and his second-half performance for West Virginia against New Mexico State made the trip well worth it.
Butler scored nine points in a decisive 21-4 second-half spurt that carried the Mountaineers to a 75-61 victory in the consolation game of the StubHub! Legends Classic on Saturday.
“It was nice to get a hug from mom instead of talking to her on the phone,” Butler said after West Virginia (3-1) gained a split in its two games at the new Prudential Center.
The building in the downtown area of New Jersey’s largest city is about five minutes from where Butler grew up.
“I feel great, even though I didn’t get a chance to spent a lot of time with my family,” Butler said. “It was great.”
Joe Alexander led the Mountaineers with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Butler and Alex Ruoff added 13 apiece, while Darris Nichols had 11.
“He played big when he was home last year against Seton Hall and Rutgers,” Alexander said of Butler. “Da’Sean has been clutch when he’s been home.”
West Virginia’s defense limited the Aggies (2-4) to 40 percent shooting from the field and forced 19 turnovers.
Jonathan Gibson led New Mexico State with 14 points, but only two came in the second half. Fred Peete added 11 and Hatila Passos had 10 and nine rebounds.
Justin Hawkins, the Aggies’ second-leading scorer, did not play because of a strained knee.
“The east coast has been very, very bad to me,” New Mexico State coach Marvin Menzies said. “Even when I was at Louisville, we were bad in New York and New Jersey.”
New Mexico State trailed by three at halftime but got going early in the second half. Passos scored inside twice to start and end an 8-0 run that gave the Aggies a 41-37 lead.
After that, though, it was all West Virginia, the defending NIT champions who are now coached by Bob Huggins.
“Coach Huggins halftime speeches are pretty famous,” Alexander said of the secondhalf turnaround. “He just lays into us and tells us what we are doing and, today, we responded.”
Butler got the Mountaineers going. He banked in a short shot, scored on a fastbreak and added a 3-pointer after a backdoor layup by Nichols for a 46-41 lead.
Londale Theus hit a layup for the Aggies to cut the lead to three points, but Wellington Smith, another New Jersey product (Summit) dunked on a fastbreak. Butler then hit from the baseline and Smith added a free throw for a 51-43 lead.
Alexander helped cap the run with a 3-pointer as the shot clock went off and a rebound follow. When Nichols scored the lead was 58-45.
The Mountaineers led by as many as 19 points.
