MORGANTOWN, WV (video courtesy WDTV) – In a back-and-forth showdown, Florida beat No. 11 West Virginia 85-80.
The Gators and Mountaineers were deadlocked at 75 with just over four minutes to go. But Florida’s Scottie Lewis drilled a three-pointer with 4:05 to go and the Gators led for the rest of the way.
For West Virginia, big man Derek Culver scored 28 and hauled in 14 rebounds. However, he was limited to just 7 points in the second half.
While the Mountaineers struggled in the paint late in the game, Florida thrived down low. The road team outscored West Virginia 32-22 inside, including 16 points in the paint in each half.
This marked the first time West Virginia allowed fans to attend a game this season. 1,000 spectators dotted the WVU Coliseum.
Next up, West Virginia will aim for redemption, facing Iowa State on the road Tuesday.
