No. 11 West Virginia finishes strong, beats Georgetown

WASHINGTON — Miles McBride scored 17 points, Derek Culver had 14 and No. 11 West Virginia finished fast to beat Georgetown 80-71 Sunday in the first meeting between the former Big East rivals since 2014.

Culver, the leading scorer and rebounder for the Mountaineers (4-1), was limited to just 18 minutes because of foul trouble. Emmitt Matthews had 13 points and Taz Sherman added 12 as West Virginia bounced back from a loss to top-ranked Gonzaga.

Jahvon Blair led Georgetown (1-2) with 19 points while Jamorko Pickett added 11.

Pickett tied it at 62 with a basket in the lane, but West Virginia ended the game on an 18-9 run. The Mountaineers have won six of the last seven against the Hoyas.

BIG PICTURE

West Virginia: The Mountaineers found a way to win without their dominant big man in Culver. Averaging a double-double, Culver played just four minutes in the first half as West Virginia trailed 34-32.

Georgetown: The Hoyas are now under .500 at the earliest part in any of coach Patrick Ewing’s four seasons. The Hoyas were picked last in the Big East Coaches’ Poll and last week lost to Navy for the first time since 1977.

UP NEXT

West Virginia: The Mountaineers will play at home for the first time this season when they welcome Robert Morris to Morgantown on Wednesday.

Georgetown: The Hoyas will play their fourth consecutive home game to start the season when they host Coppin State on Tuesday.