Mountaineers dominate 2nd half to win Backyard Brawl, 71-49
Sports
In the 192nd edition of the Backyard Brawl, West Virginia University, led by first-year coach Ross Hodge, overcame an early deficit to dominate Pittsburgh 71-49 at Hope Coliseum. After Pitt took a 21-14 lead, the Mountaineers stormed back with an 18-2 run to close the first half and began the second half with another 12-0 run, building a 21-point advantage. WVU's victory was anchored by a stifling defense that held the Panthers under 50 points and, at one point, forced 13 consecutive missed shots. Harlan Obioha led the Mountaineers with 19 points and six rebounds, while Honor Huff added 15 points. After the game, which was WVU's first test against a power conference opponent, Coach Hodge offered condolences to the family of miner Steve Lipscomb, who was found dead Thursday morning after a mine flooding incident.