Rock absorbs 87-37 beating from WVU
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia might have found its sixth man.
For the second consecutive game, freshman Da'Sean Butler came off the bench to spark West Virginia, scoring a game-high 15 points in the Mountaineers' 87-37 win over Slippery Rock University Tuesday.
The 50-point victory was West Virginia's largest since a 125-64 win over St. Bonaventure at home on Jan. 3, 1991.
Joe Alexander added 14 points and Devan Bawinkel had 13 for West Virginia.
Butler entered the game during the first official time-out and scored West Virginia's first four points. The forward followed a run-out dunk off a steal with a backdoor layup that gave West Virginia (2-0) the lead for good at 12-11 with 13:57 left in the first half.
"I really like him coming off the bench for us," West Virginia coach John Beilein said. "He just comes in and we let him go because he does so many good things. He got the steals and rebounds and he is a good shooter. I think people are going to enjoy him a lot."
West Virginia (2-0) hit three consecutive 3-pointers over the next three minutes, part of a 13-0 run that put the Mountaineers ahead 23-11 with 7:51 remaining in the first half. Butler, who also had nine rebounds, scored seven of those points, including a fast break layup off a behind-the-back pass from Alexander that finished the run.
Beilein's son, Patrick, had been West Virginia's sixth man for the last four years, when WVU made consecutive appearances in the NCAA Sweet 16. Patrick Beilein, who graduated after last season, was among the team's top scorers.
"It's a different team from last year. We do things off the dribble," Butler said.
Slippery Rock didn't do much of anything after leading 11-10 with 14 minutes left in the first half. It went cold from the field, missing six shots and committing five turnovers during a six-minute drought before Brandon Thompson hit an inside basket.
It was Slippery Rock's only field goal in an 11:57 stretch. West Virginia shot 45.5 percent from the field in the first half and took a 36-21 lead at the break.
The Mountaineers started the second half hitting three 3-pointers on their first four shots, including one from Frank Young, the lone returning starter from last year's team. Young, who was held scoreless in West Virginia's season opening win over Mount St. Mary's, hit his first 3-pointer of the season to widen the Mountaineers' lead to 44-21. Alexander followed Young's 3-pointer with another to make it 47-21 with 16:44 left in the game.
Slippery Rock failed to score in the first 7:37 of the second half and trailed 55-23 when it finally did on a basket by Glenn Reepmeyer.
It was the fewest points allowed by West Virginia since an 83-33 win over Division II Washington and Jefferson last season.
Slippery Rock was led by Reepmeyer, who scored 12 points. It had 25 turnovers and shot just 33.3 percent from the field for the game, including 1-of-10 from behind the arc.
The game was considered part of the regular season for West Virginia. Under a new NCAA rule, Slippery Rock (0-0) was able to use the game as its second of two allowed exhibition games. It played the first against Division I Cleveland State.
WVU 87, SRU 37
SLIPPERY ROCK (0-1)
Vines 2-5 0-2 4, Reepmeyer 4-9 4-4 12, Schaefer 0-2 0-0 0, Scales 2-6 0-0 4, Smith 3-6 0-0 7, Campuzano 0-1 0-0 0, Coleman 1-2 0-2 2, White 0-1 2-2 2, Marzullo 0-2 0-0 0, Thompson 1-5 0-1 2, Robinson 1-4 0-0 2, Yonkers 1-2 0-4 2. Totals 15-45 6-15 37.
WEST VIRGINIA (2-0)Alexander 5-6 1-2 14, Young 3-10 0-0 7, Summers 2-3 0-0 4, Nichols 2-4 0-0 5, Ruoff 3-7 0-0 9, Butler 7-13 0-0 15, Bawinkel 5-6 0-0 13, Mazzulla 1-3 0-0 3, Talkington 1-1 0-0 2, Smith 3-6 0-1 6, Smalligan 2-4 4-4 9. Totals 34-63 5-7 87.Halftime—West Virginia 36-21. 3-Point Goals—Slippery Rock 1-10 (Smith 1-2, Coleman 0-1, Marzullo 0-1, Thompson 0-2, Robinson 0-2, Schaefer 0-2), West Virginia 14-34 (Alexander 3-3, Bawinkel 3-3, Ruoff 3-7, Mazzulla 1-1, Smalligan 1-3, Nichols 1-3, Butler 1-4, Young 1-7, Smith 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Slippery Rock 33 (Reepmeyer 7), West Virginia 33 (Butler 9). Assists—Slippery Rock 10 (Scales 3), West Virginia 24 (Nichols, Young 5). Total Fouls—Slippery Rock 14, West Virginia 17. A—5,114.
