WASHINGTON — Miles McBride scored 17 points, Derek Culver had 14 and No. 11 West Virginia finished fast to beat Georgetown, 80-71, on Sunday in the first meeting between the former Big East rivals since 2014.
Culver, the leading scorer and rebounder for the Mountaineers (4-1), was limited to 18 minutes because of foul trouble. Emmitt Matthews had 13 points, and Taz Sherman added 12 as West Virginia bounced back from a loss to top-ranked Gonzaga.
Jahvon Blair led Georgetown (1-2) with 19 points, and Jamorko Pickett added 11.
Pickett tied it at 62-62 with a basket in the lane, but West Virginia ended the game on an 18-9 run. The Mountaineers have won six of the last seven against the Hoyas.
WVU found a way to win without its dominant big man, Culver. Averaging a double-double, Culver played just four minutes in the first half as West Virginia trailed 34-32.
The Hoyas are under .500 at the earliest part in any of coach Patrick Ewing’s four seasons. The Hoyas were picked last in the Big East Coaches’ Poll and last week lost to Navy for the first time since 1977.
The Mountaineers will play at home for the first time this season when they welcome Robert Morris to Morgantown on Wednesday.
