Mountaineers roll in season opener

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) -- The days are over for West Virginia catching an opponent by surprise. That showed in the 14th-ranked Mountaineers' first game since last season's improbable run that ended one win shy of the Final Four.
"Today, a couple people called our name. That was strange" said Mike Gansey, who led the Mountaineers with 22 points and 14 rebounds in Saturday's 88-69 victory over Louisiana-Monroe to advance to the second round of the Guardians Classic.
Then again, said Gansey, "It was kind of cool to have people know who you are."
Ranked in the preseason poll for the first time in 43 years, the Mountaineers had a second-half lapse as Louisiana-Monroe cut a 17-point deficit to five. But West Virginia responded with three straight baskets, including a 3-pointer by Gansey, to put the game out of reach.
Louisiana-Monroe never got closer than eight points the rest of the way in the season opener for both teams.
Kevin Pittsnogle, a hero of last March's NCAA tournament run, scored 18 points.
"These teams know who they are playing," Pittsnogle said. "So I think they play more aggressively. Teams know we are ranked and they want to knock us off. That's something different."
First-year Louisiana-Monroe coach Orlando Early joked that the tournament's Morgantown regional should have been called the West Virginia Invitational.
"I think we're all playing for that second-place trophy," he said.
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