West Virginia sees practice time paying off, faces Coppin State

West Virginia aims to keep good practice habits rolling when it hosts Coppin State on Wednesday in Morgantown W. Va.

After a rare week of practice, the Mountaineers (6-2) rolled to a 70-38 win over Mercyhurst on Sunday.

Chance Moore tallied 11 points off the bench to lead a balanced scoring effort. Another reserve, Amir Jenkins, added 10 points while Brenen Lorient, Jackson Fields and Treysen Eaglestaff all chipped in with nine points.

A St. Bonaventure transfer, Moore sat out the first five games of the season to satisfy an NCAA requirement that granted him a fifth year of eligibility. In three games, he's averaged nine points, 5.7 rebounds and 17 minutes per game.

West Virginia coach Ross Hodge said because of his practice habits, Moore is a quick learner. The Mountaineers had a week off between a 78-68 loss to Xavier on Nov. 23 and their win over Mercyhurst, which allowed for valuable practice time.

"He's a good listener," Hodge said. "He listens to instruction and has the maturity and the ability to process what he is being asked to do then goes and does it. He has an incredible work ethic. He's always in the gym and he likes to compete. He's getting more comfortable. He's a guy that wasn't here for the summer then got a crash course in the fall."

While the Eagles (2-8) started their season with six straight losses, they are 2-2 in their last four games.

In a 95-84 loss at Loyola (MD) on Sunday, Coppin State shot 56% from the field. Hassan Perkins racked up 19 points while Chris Morgan, Nelson Lamizana and Tyler Koenig all tallied 11 points

Despite their struggles, coach Larry Stewart wants to be predictable in his approach.

"You have to be consistent," Stewart said. "Winning isn't easy. It's hard for everybody. So you have to continue to work on the things you aren't good at and be honest with the players. You stay with the same message, show them the film and break things down."

--Field Level Media