CHARLESTON — In a battle of youthful teams, West Virginia coach John Beilein figured whichever team’s young players played better would win Wednesday night’s WVU-N.C. State game at the Charleston Civic Center.

Chalk one up for West Virginia, which saw its young players and its Young player step up in a 71-60 win.

Young, as in sophomores Alex Ruoff and Joe Alexander and freshman De’Sean Butler, who combined for 39 points and nine boards.

And Young, as in grizzled old senior Frank Young, who had 16 points and seven boards in what was an early-season signature win over the Wolfpack of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Mountaineers, keyed by a tenacious defense and lights-out shooting from the three-point arc in the second half (8-of-14), improved to 6-1 on the young season.

“There’s an innate rivalry between the two leagues, regardless,” Beilein said. “It’s all about bragging rights. N.C. State obviously has a great program. It’s good for us, it’s good for the league, but in the big picture, it’s just another game.”

West Virginia led most of the way, but the Wolfpack stayed close, tying it at 28-28 at the break and again at 40 five minutes into the second half.

With the Mountaineers up by two, 53-51, Young stepped up and hit his third three of the second half to extend the lead.

Butler hit a spin move from the foul line in front of Ruoff’s fifth and final three of the game that pushed it to 61-51.

N.C. State (5-2) cut it to eight, but Alexander stepped up with a big shot near the free throw line with 2:01 left, then came up with a steal and a slam seconds later that sent the 9,333 in attendance into a frenzy.

Beilein likened Alexander’s shot from the foul line to the shot Jo Herber hit against Florida in his first season that helped WVU beat the Gators in Charleston.

“That jumper was one of the biggest of the game,” Beilein said. “They had cut it to eight and the shot clock was winding down. He came off a screen and put up a nice jumper. ... For the first time this year, we had a guy have to make a big shot. And (Alexander) did.”

“We did a good job executing,” Young said. “We were penetrating and then kicking it out. It doesn’t matter who takes the shot. When we get an open shot, nine times out of 10 this team is going to make that shot.”

WVU wound up shooting 46.4 percent from behind the three-point line and had 14 offensive boards. The Wolfpack did outrebound the Mountaineers 35-31.

N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe admitted his team probably wore down at the end. The Wolfpack, without point guard Engin Astur, played four players the entire way.

Only Dennis Horner (three points, six boards), who was recruited heavily by WVU, played off the bench.

“That’s what we have,” Lowe said. “That’s what we have to deal with right now.”

Courtney Fells led N.C. State with 17 points. Brandon Costner and Ben McCauley had 15 each and Gavin Grant 10.

West Virginia point guard Darris Nichols added 11 points and eight assists.

While Beilein downplayed the win, the Mountaineers weren’t shortchanging it.

“N.C. State is a great team,” Ruoff said. “I guarantee you they’re going to win some games and it will help our resume down the road.”

“That’s a very good team,” Young added. “They’re very well coached. They’re long and they’re athletic. To get a win here tonight against that team is going to look real good in March.”

Even better than it did in early December.

— E-mail: demorrison@

register-herald.com



WEST VIRGINIA 71, N.C. STATE 60

N.C. STATE (5-2) 

Nieman 0-0 0-0 0, Costner 6-10 3-3 15, McCauley 6-11 3-3 15, Grant 3-10 3-4 10, Fells 6-13 4-4 17, Horner 1-4 0-0 3. Totals 22-48 13-14 60.

WEST VIRGINIA (6-1) 

Alexander 6-16 3-4 15, Young 5-18 2-3 16, Summers 1-4 0-0 2, Nichols 3-7 2-2 11, Ruoff 5-6 0-0 15, Butler 3-5 3-4 9, Bawinkel 1-1 0-0 3, Mazzulla 0-2 0-0 0, Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Smalligan 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-61 10-13 71.

Halftime—Tied 28. 3-Point Goals—N.C. State 3-16 (Horner 1-4, Grant 1-5, Fells 1-5, Costner 0-2), West Virginia 13-28 (Ruoff 5-6, Young 4-11, Nichols 3-5, Bawinkel 1-1, Mazzulla 0-2, Alexander 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—N.C. State 35 (McCauley 7), West Virginia 31 (Summers 8). Assists—N.C. State 10 (Grant 6), West Virginia 14 (Nichols 8). Total Fouls—N.C. State 15, West Virginia 13. A—9,333.