Mitchel scores career-high 18 points as No. 8 West Virginia routs Long Beach St

Mitchell helps No. 8 West Virginia rout Long Beach

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Casey Mitchell scored a career-high 18 points and No. 8 West Virginia routed Long Beach State 85-62 on Thursday in the first round of the 76 Classic.

The Mountaineers (3-0) led the entire game in the first meeting ever between the two schools.

Greg Plater and Stephan Gilling each had 14 points for Long Beach State (3-2), which was trying for its first win against a ranked team since 1994.

West Virginia forward Da’Sean Butler, who had nine points in the first half, finished with 13.

The Mountaineers made 12-of-24 3-pointers and shot 51.8 percent from the field while the 49ers committed 22 turnovers and shot 41.9 percent.

Mitchell, last year’s junior college national player of the year, had nine points in the first half and made four 3-pointers.

West Virginia star sophomore forward Devin Ebanks missed his third straight game because of undisclosed personal reasons. There was no timetable for the all-Big East rookie selection’s return.

Ebanks’ absence allowed others to pick up the slack offensively.

Walk-on Jonnie West, son of NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West, had a career-high 11 points.

West Virginia point guard Joe Mazzulla gave the team a lift off the bench after Darryl Bryant picked up two early fouls. Mazzulla had five points, four rebounds and three assists in 11 first-half minutes.

T.J. Robinson had 10 points and led Long Beach State with eight rebounds.

The Mountaineers weren’t bothered by Long Beach State’s full-court press, but the 49ers had a hard time handling West Virginia’s stifling man-to-man defense. Long Beach committed 15 turnovers in the first half and couldn’t get into a rhythm offensively. The 49ers finished with 22 turnovers.

Mitchell made his first three 3-pointers helping West Virginia jump out to a 14-6 lead. After Plater made a 3-pointer pulling the 49ers closer at 16-9, the Mountaineers held them scoreless for more than four minutes making it 20-9.