Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Brenen Lorient set the tone inside and Honor Huff delivered his usual steadiness on the perimeter as West Virginia controlled the second half and knocked off No. 19 BYU, 79-71, on Saturday night at a sold-out Hope Coliseum.
Lorient finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, battling all night in the paint, while Huff led the Mountaineers with 19 points as WVU snapped a three-game losing streak and earned its second win over a ranked Big 12 opponent this season. The Mountaineers (17-12, 8-8 Big 12) never trailed after halftime and held off every Cougar push down the stretch.
The win was fueled by timely contributions from Chance Moore and Jasper Floyd, whose impact went beyond the box score. Moore scored 11 of his 11 points during a decisive first-half surge and helped WVU seize control early, while Floyd’s composure at the point steadied the Mountaineers on both ends as BYU attempted to rally. Their presence was central to the Mountaineers building a double-digit halftime lead and maintaining balance late.
WVU forced nine Cougars’ turnovers in the first half and turned a tight game into separation with a 20-5 run, capped by 11 points from Moore, to take a 40-26 advantage into the break. DJ Thomas came off the bench to add 13 points, most of them in the opening half, as WVU put together one of its most complete offensive stretches of the season.
“Jasper got us off to a great start with his command on both ends of the floor,” Mountaineer head coach Ross Hodge said. “We got incredible contributions from a lot of people, and that’s typically been when we’re at our best.”
BYU (20-9, 8-8) leaned on Robert Wright III, who scored a game-high 23 points, and AJ Dybantsa, who added 20. Dybantsa, a projected top pick in the 2026 NBA draft, was limited to four points on 1-of-4 shooting in the first half before finding a rhythm after halftime. He scored 11 points over a five-minute stretch midway through the second half, but the Cougars never fully closed the gap.
Keba Keita’s steal and layup pulled the Cougars within 74-71 with 1:11 remaining, but BYU came up empty on their final two possessions following steals, turning the ball over both times. WVU closed it out at the line, making five of six free throws in the final 26 seconds.
“First and foremost, I thought Hope Coliseum was special today and I had a feeling it would be,” Hodge said. “I’m just super-appreciative of what makes this place special. We’ve lost some tough ones in this stretch, and to have a sellout crowd and the energy from the jump was amazing.”
The victory improved the Mountaineers to 2-4 against AP Top 25 opponents and kept WVU in the NCAA Tournament discussion, evening its league record and giving them a tiebreaker edge over the Cougars.
The Mountaineers head to Kansas State on Tuesday night.
Photo Credit: Dale Sparks- All-Pro Photography- WVU Athletics
