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Bob Huggins moves into tie for 3rd in wins as WVU routs Penn

Nov 18, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers forward Tre Mitchell (3) blocks a shot from Pennsylvania Quakers forward Nick Spinoso (13) during the first half at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Erik Stevenson poured in 21 points in a red-hot shooting performance as West Virginia routed Penn 92-58 in Morgantown, W.Va., on Friday night.

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins earned his 920th win, tying him with Jim Calhoun for third place on the Division I list. Above them are Jim Boeheim (999) and Mike Krzyzewski (1,202).

Stevenson, who began the night averaging 11.7 points per game on 50 percent shooting, hit his first eight shots, including four 3-pointers. He went 8 of 9 from the floor overall in 16 minutes.

The Mountaineers (4-0) shot 64.3 percent in the first half to take control, and they never let the Quakers back in the game.

Tre Mitchell, Kedrian Johnson and Joe Toussaint added 11 points apiece, and West Virginia finished at 55.6 percent shooting, including 52.2 percent (12 of 23) from long range.

Penn (1-4) played without leading scorer Jordan Dingle (19.8 points per game), who sustained a leg injury in the Quakers’ win over Drexel on Tuesday.

Clark Slajchert, Penn’s only other player averaging in double figures at 15 points per game, scored 20 on Friday. He went 7 of 17 from the floor. Max Martz added 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Quakers shot 35 percent from the floor and hurt themselves badly with 18 turnovers that the Mountaineers turned into 21 points. Penn went 7 of 24 (29.2 percent) from 3-point range.

Leading by 21 at the half, the Mountaineers went on a 7-1 run to open the second half, capped by Johnson’s 3-pointer, to lead 59-32. Penn never got the deficit under 20 the rest of the way.

West Virginia shot a blistering 60 percent on 3-point attempts as it built the lead in the first half.

The Mountaineers went on a 17-2 run to lead 28-9 with 10:51 left before halftime. Mitchell scored seven points, including a 3-pointer, in the burst, and Stevenson, Toussaint and Emmitt Matthews Jr. also hit from long range.

The Quakers cut their deficit to 13, but West Virginia pushed the bulge to 52-31 at the half, with Stevenson scoring the Mountaineers’ final 10 points, including two more treys.

Stevenson finished the half with 17 points on 6-of-6 shooting, including four 3-pointers. Mitchell added 11 points before intermission.

Slajchert led Penn with 10 at the break.

–Field Level Media

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