National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
West Virginia 70, Oklahoma St. 56
When: 6:00 PM ET, Saturday, February 27, 2016
Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena, Stillwater, Oklahoma
Officials: # Rick Crawford, # Jeb Hartness, # Gerry Pollard
Attendance: 5539

STILLWATER, Okla. – Jaysean Paige isn't a starter, technically.

Still, the West Virginia guard plays starter minutes and provides starter impact. And Paige did all that again Saturday leading the No. 14 Mountaineers past Oklahoma State 70-56 at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Paige entered Saturday as West Virginia's leading scorer and coming off a career night on Monday. He paced the Mountaineers again, pouring in a team-high 17 for his 21st double-figure scoring game of the season.

After a tight first half, West Virginia used an 11-2 spurt to open the second half to start pulling away from the Cowboys. Paige provided two layups and an assist during that surge.

With the win, the Mountaineers moved into sole possession of second place in the Big 12, improving to 11-5 in the conference and 22-7 overall.

Oklahoma State fell to 12-17 and 3-13, losing four straight for second time this season.

Paige, who's started just one of 29 games, set a school record for points by a nonstarter when he went for 34 in Monday night's win over Iowa State. He didn't threaten that number against the Cowboys, yet made his presence felt just the same, making eight of 18 shots from the floor to lead a balanced Mountaineers scoring effort.

Five West Virginia players scored at least seven points, while center Devin Williams posted a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds.

Guard Joe Burton led Oklahoma State with a career-high 16 points off the bench.

West Virginia led 33-29 at the half on the strength of its defense and its bench.

The Mountaineers forced 13 turnovers -- more than the Cowboys had in 16 previous games during the season -- and got 21 of their 33 points from reserves. Paige scored eight off the bench, while Williams led the team with nine.

West Virginia needed its defense and its bench, shooting just 35 percent from the floor and itself committing seven turnovers. The Mountaineers also survived a 14-0 run by the Cowboys.

Oklahoma State guard Tavarius Shine led all scorers with 12 points -- all coming off 3-pointers on a four-for-four shooting performance from beyond the arc.

Burton added nine points for the Cowboys.

NOTES: West Virginia coach Bob Huggins moved into sole possession of ninth place all-time on the NCAA Division I wins list with Saturday's victory. Huggins, who has won 20 or more games 27 times in his career, had been tied with Lefty Driesell and Cliff Ellis, but moved ahead of that duo with his 787th win… Oklahoma State continues to play shorthanded and compromised. The Cowboys have lost starting guards Phil Forte and Jawun Evans for the season. Guard Jeffrey Carroll, battling illness, did not start for the second straight game Saturday and was limited. Guard Tyree Griffin (ankle), forward Leyton Hammonds (foot) and forward Mitchell Solomon (hand) all played with injuries. ... Of Huggins' 197 wins at West Virginia, 95 have come on the road, including five this season in the Big 12.
Top Game Performances
 
West Virginia   Oklahoma St.
Jaysean Paige 17 Scoring Joe Burton 16
Tarik Phillip 2 Assists Tyree Griffin 4
Devin Williams 15 Rebounds Jeff Newberry 7
Devin Williams 7 Free Throws Made Tyree Griffin 5
Daxter Miles Jr. 3 Steals Tyree Griffin 2
N/A Blocks Tavarius Shine 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
West Virginia 70 36.5 5-14 27-37 7 39 0 11 14
Oklahoma St. 56 41.5 8-24 14-20 12 23 3 7 19