Hodge says Mercer exposed WVU’s physicality problem

MORGANTOWN, West Virginia. West Virginia improved to 3-0 with a 75-61 win over Mercer on Thursday night, but coach Ross Hodge left Hope Coliseum focused on a warning that matters more than the final margin. The Bears, he said afterward, played with greater physicality for much of the game and forced the Mountaineers to win without consistently controlling the toughest possessions.

Hodge’s assessment came in WVU Athletics’ official postgame account . He credited Mercer after its fifth game in 11 days and described the Bears as “the more physical and tougher team” through most of the night. West Virginia created separation during a productive second-half stretch, but the coach did not treat the 14-point victory as proof that the underlying issue had disappeared.

The rebounding details explain his concern. WVU finished with a 41-34 overall advantage, yet Mercer collected 14 offensive rebounds and repeatedly extended possessions. Hodge said physicality is tied to mindset, attention to detail and a willingness to initiate contact rather than simply reacting to it. That standard will become more important when the Mountaineers face bigger and more athletic opponents.

West Virginia still found enough offense to pull away. Finley Bizjack scored 15 points, Miles Sadler added 12 with six assists and Javan Buchanan supplied a season-high 12 off the bench. The Mountaineers shot 39.7 percent from the field and only 25.9 percent from three-point range, but they reached the foul line 30 times and converted 22 attempts.

The performance leaves WVU with an undefeated record and a clear correction before a major jump in competition. The Mountaineers are scheduled to meet Auburn in the Players Era 8 Tournament in Las Vegas on Tuesday night. Hodge’s postgame message sets the priority: finishing defensive possessions and matching an opponent’s force cannot wait until the game begins to turn.

Mercer exposed that pressure point without handing West Virginia a loss. The Mountaineers now have several days to show that they heard the warning before the schedule becomes far less forgiving.

Featured photo: Archival WVU basketball action from the 2017 Armed Forces Classic. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Sharida Jackson, public domain. Current players are not pictured.

Hodge says Mercer exposed WVU’s physicality problem

Comments