MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — Derek Culver’s career day was not enough.
The WVU forward recorded his 10th double-double of the season with 29 points and 14 rebounds, but Culver got caught too far under the rim in the final 3.5 seconds and his two shots at the rim never had a chance, as 14th-ranked West Virginia lost its fourth straight game to Oklahoma, 91-90, in double OT.
Culver’s 29 points was a career high and it came off the heels of being held to just two points against the Sooners last month.
The 6-foot-10 forward had another chance at the rim blocked by Oklahoma forward Kur Kuath with 11.1 seconds remaining.
“Huge play. Kur is a good rim protector,” Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger said. “He is practicing hard, and he is doing a good job. He is getting a bulk of the minutes right now, but it was a big-time play there to protect the rim and at a critical time of the game.”
As for the final shot, WVU spaced the floor coming out of a timeout to get Culver one-on-one with Kuath near the basket.
“We were trying to give Derek as much room as possible to push his guy up the lane,” WVU guard Sean McNeil said.
In terms of taking the last shot, Huggins said he was going to Culver the entire time.
“Who would you want to have shoot it?” Huggins said. “We tried Deuce (McBride), we tried Taz (Sherman). Who would you want to have shoot it, Gabe (Osabuohien)? Derek scored it well early.”
Scheduling rumors
As the schedule reads now, WVU will not play again until Saturday, when the Mountaineers travel to No. 13 Texas.
WVU did have two games scheduled with No. 2 Baylor during the week, but those games were postponed, because the Bears are on pause due to COVID-19 regulations.
There may be an opportunity to fill a weekday game this week with Oklahoma State.
The Cowboys are scheduled to play Iowa State on Tuesday and then against Baylor on Saturday, but the game against Baylor is still not certain.
WVU had a home game scheduled against the Cowboys on Jan. 19 that was postponed when the Mountaineers were in quarantine.
There is a possibility the Big 12 may have Oklahoma State travel to Morgantown on Thursday, since it may not play Saturday against Baylor.
Huggins could not confirm that.
“I don’t have any idea,” he said. “You guys probably heard the same rumors I heard, but that’s what they are right now is rumors, because, at least, I haven’t been told.”
Bad concentration
Huggins said WVU players may have been a little full of themselves after coming off consecutive wins against Kansas and Texas Tech.
WVU was attempting to win three straight games against AP Top 25 teams for the first time since 1957.
“It comes down to concentration and ours was not very good after the Texas Tech game,” Huggins said. “We had a terrible practice and (Friday) we were so-so at best. I think part of it was not getting enough sleep after playing a 9 p.m. game and then flying three-and-half hours. I think part of it was they were kind of full of themselves after beating a couple of ranked teams.
“We didn’t have good practices, I don’t know what to tell you. I tried everything I could to get them to concentrate harder.”
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