Going into this game I had a feeling I was not going to feel comfortable with whatever pick I made. My gut feeling considering the results from earlier in the week was that Western would be favored. Appalachian won by 12 at home this year over Western, but that was somewhat of an anomaly. The Mountaineers hit 16 free throws down the stretch to win the game, which is uncharacteristic of the team that was shooting in the mid-60% range from the free throw line for the season. The line was posted with Western being a four point favorite. I just felt like App could be a better team, and the rivalry game should bring out the best in the Mountaineers.
I took the Mountaineers, but it was not the correct choice. Mike Neal had a rough game with nine turnovers, but did add six rebounds and six assists to go along with 11 points. The Mountaineers had a 12 point lead in the first half and fell behind by as many 15 points late in the second half before falling by eight points. My season record is 10-14, which is pretty awful. Even if the Mountaineers did the unthinkable and played four games in the conference tournament, I could only draw even on the season.