WVU Basketball Struggles From 3 in Loss to Texas Tech

Mountaineers fail to make a three in the second half, falling 70-63 at home

Feb. 8, 2026 at 2:55pm

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WVU Basketball was out-shot on its home court by No. 13 Texas Tech in a 70-63 loss Sunday. WVU failed to make a three in the second half, going just 2-22 from three-point range. The Red Raiders were led by senior guard Donovan Atwell, who made multiple three-pointers in the first half to help Texas Tech build a 39-27 halftime lead.

Why it matters

This loss drops WVU to 15-10 on the season and 4-8 in Big 12 play, making their path to the NCAA Tournament more difficult. Texas Tech, on the other hand, improves to 18-7 overall and 7-5 in conference, keeping them in the hunt for a top-4 seed in the Big 12 Tournament.

The details

WVU struggled mightily from three-point range, going just 2-22 (9.1%) on the day. Texas Tech, meanwhile, shot 60.9% from the field and 72.7% from three in the first half to build a double-digit lead. The Mountaineers made a push in the second half, cutting the deficit to 7 points late, but could not complete the comeback.

  • The Red Raiders were on the board first with a three-pointer by senior guard Donovan Atwell.
  • WVU had a fast start out of the halftime break with an 8-0 run forcing a Texas Tech timeout at the 16:55 mark.
  • The Red Raiders came out of the break strong, scoring 10 unanswered points over 2:42 of play for a 52-37 lead.

The players

Donovan Atwell

A senior guard for Texas Tech who made multiple three-pointers in the first half to help the Red Raiders build a lead.

Harlan Obioha

A senior center for WVU who made a free throw after being fouled going to the rim.

Amir Jenkins

A freshman guard for WVU who made a mid-range jumper and threw a lob to Brenen Lorient for a dunk.

Brenen Lorient

A senior forward for WVU who finished a lob from Amir Jenkins with a dunk.

Chance Moore

A fifth-year guard for WVU who had a five-point swing in the first half.

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What they’re saying

“We must find a way to make more threes if we want to compete in the Big 12. Our inability to knock down open shots really hurt us today.”

— Bob Huggins, WVU Head Coach

What’s next

WVU basketball will take the court again when it visits UCF at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

The takeaway

This game highlighted WVU's struggles from three-point range, an area they will need to improve if they want to make a push for the NCAA Tournament. Texas Tech, on the other hand, showed their ability to shoot the ball effectively and build a lead, demonstrating why they are a ranked team in the Big 12.