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Miles McBride and Derek Culver of West Virginia Basketball up against Syracuse zone

By Benjamin Zacher

Mar 19, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; The West Virginia Mountaineers celebrates after beating the Morehead State Eagles in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; The West Virginia Mountaineers celebrates after beating the Morehead State Eagles in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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West Virginia Basketball Syracuse Orange  Ncaa Basketball Ncaa Touranment San Diego State Vs Syracuse
West Virginia Basketball Syracuse Orange  Ncaa Basketball Ncaa Touranment San Diego State Vs Syracuse /

West Virginia Basketball’s hunt for a national championship will be met with its next hurdle, with the Mountaineers taking on the 11th-seeded Syracuse Orange in the Round of 32 on Sunday evening.

The Mountaineers reached the second round for the first time since 2018, courtesy of an 84-67 rout of OVC champs and 14th-seed Morehead State.  After leading by just one with 14 minutes to play, a quick 9-0 run for West Virginia in the span of 31 seconds gave the Mountaineers an insurmountable edge that ballooned to as large as 18.

West Virginia’s defense was not necessarily efficient, allowing Morehead State to shoot 51.6% (2PT) and 52.6% (3PT) – but the Mountaineers’ offense was overwhelming, behind 1.31 points per possession and a 30-point performance from Miles McBride.  He was not alone, either, with Jalen Bridges (15), Sean McNeil (13), and Derek Culver (12) supplying double-digit efforts, as well.

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The Mountaineers will now line up against a Syracuse squad that was similarly deadly on the offensive end.  In a 78-62 romp over sixth-seeded San Diego State, the Orange shot a blistering 55.3% from the floor while holding the Aztecs scoreless in the final nine and a half minutes of the opening stanza to race out to a dominant double-digit lead.

The architect of Syracuse’s success was Buddy Boeheim, arguably the hottest shooter in the country, having entered the game after draining five or more three-pointers in three of his last four appearances – and he repeated that showing again against San Diego State, pouring in 30 points on clips of 4-5 (2PT) and 7-10 (3PT).  Additionally, Joseph Girard III (12) and Marek Dolezaj (11) notched double-figures in the win.

Now, the old Big East rivals will clash for the first time since 2012, and the Mountaineers will look to overcome Syracuse’s dominant 16-34 lead in the all-time series, which dates back to 1917.  With a bid to the Sweet 16 and a date with either Houston or Rutgers on the line, the Mountaineers must overcome Syracuse’s five-game winning streak over West Virginia – a streak that dates back to 2009 – and follow some critical keys in the process.

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