Associated Press Published

Mountaineers Ready for First Round Game Friday

Jaysean Paige
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  As the NCAA basketball tournament tipped off this afternoon  the West Virginia University Mountaineers are preparing for their first-round game on Friday night in Brooklyn.

The third-seeded Mountaineers will take on 14th seed Stephen F. Austin on the second day of the NCAA Tournament. It’s the Mountaineers’ 27th appearance in the NCAA Tournament dating back to 1955. The Mountaineers capped Big 12 play with second place finishes both in the regular season and the conference tournament. The Mountaineers are making their 11th NCAA Tournament appearance in the past 12 years, with a final four appearance in 2005. It’s the first time WVU will take on Stephen F. Austin. Senior Guard Jaysean Paige is excited about the opportunity to play in his home state of New York. 

“First off I’m happy about that, I get to play in front of my family and friends and we’re a 3 seed and we worked hard for it and we made it to the tournament so that’s a big accomplishment,” Paige said.

If the Mountaineers make it past the first round, they will take on the winner of the Notre Dame-Michigan game. The WVU women’s basketball team also begins its NCAA tournament journey Friday at noon against Princeton.