:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45792086/usa-today-8411818.0.jpg)
West Virginia fell to 22-7 and 10-6 in conference play after their 78-66 loss to Baylor (22-7, 10-6) on Saturday afternoon in Waco.
The chances for a road win today were slim when the game tipped, due to Juwan Staten being ruled out with a left knee injury. Things got even tougher three minutes into the contest when Rico Gathers landed on Gary Browne's ankle while going for a loose ball:
With both of their leaders sidelined, the Mountaineers lacked the firepower to keep up with Baylor. West Virginia trailed 45-29 at halftime, outscored the Bears by 4 in the second half, and ultimately fell by 12.
West Virginia was able to get the game to single digits with 10 minutes to go, mostly because of a great performance by Jevon Carter. Carter's play kept this game from getting incredibly ugly. The point guard position is in great hands for the next three years.
Baylor's zone again gave West Virginia problems, as their length and quickness filling the passing lanes led to 13 Mountaineer turnovers. The Bears only committed 8.
West Virginia shot exactly 0 foul shots in the first half and finished with 12 attempts overall, making 8.
Jevon Carter led the Mountaineers with 25 points on 8-16 shooting and 7-13 from three. He also added 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Daxter Miles was the only other Mountaineer in double-digits, scoring 11. Elijah Macon had a nice game, scoring 9 and grabbing 5 rebounds off the bench. Jonathan Holton scored 7 and had 10 rebounds (7 offensive).
Baylor was led by Taurean Prince with 20 off the bench. Royce O'Neale added 18 and Rico Gathers had 17 and 10 rebounds.
Brandon Watkins returned to action today but played sparingly.
We'll update you with more information on the injuries to Staten and Browne as it becomes available.
Next up, the Mountaineers travel to Lawrence for a matchup with the Kansas Jayhawks. West Virginia won the previous game 62-61 on a Juwan Staten layup in the final seconds in Morgantown. The Jayhawks currently sit at the top of the Big 12 standings and are looking for their eleventh straight regular season conference title. The game tips at 9:00 PM and will be televised by ESPN2 and streaming on the WatchESPN app.