West Virginia center Harlan Obioha grabs for a rebound against Colorado. (Photo by Ron Rittenhouse/The Dominion Post)

MORGANTOWN — West Virginia’s Treysen Eaglestaff had another big night to keep West Virginia men’s basketball in front, beating Colorado to remain perfect at home.

It wasn’t easy for the Mountaineers, and they needed a big performance from Eaglestaff to beat the Buffaloes 72-61, getting a much-needed bounce-back win at home after a stomping by Houston. WVU is now 12-0 at home, 12-6 on the season, and 3-2 in the Big 12. Colorado moved to 12-6 and 2-3 in the conference.

“Just a good Big 12 basketball game,” head coach Ross Hodge said. “I thought our guys did a great job of responding, not panicking and getting enough stops down the stretch.”

Eaglestaff looked good in a shoot-around. He ran out there in his sweats and was making shot after shot, but that was just shoot-around, and shooting on air. It didn’t compare to the game.

“I didn’t think anything before the game,” Eaglestaff said. “Kind of just show up and enjoy the moment… I never tell myself I’m going to go off before the game. I never have.”

Once the game tipped off, Eaglestaff’s shooting didn’t skip a beat. He opened the game, making his first five shots, which included two 3-pointers. Eaglestaff had 12 of WVU’s first 26 points. He went quiet and missed his next four, allowing Colorado to hang around. Eaglestaff got rolling again, making his next four, and finished with 22 points, one shy of his season high.

“Eaglestaff’s a hell of a player,” Colorado head coach Tad Boyle said.

Eaglestaff hit a big 3-pointer late in the game and turned to the crowd with his hands up and smiled.

“That student section is on and off with me sometimes,” Eaglestaff said. “Sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re bad. I definitely love the support they show our team.”

The North Dakota transfer, who averaged almost 19 last season, wasn’t nearly as productive in the first couple of games. Recently, Eaglestaff has started to find his groove and hit a clutch shot in the upset over Kansas. He’s still up and down, but showed up to edge out Colorado.

“There’s a game where I didn’t take a shot,” Eaglestaff said. “There’s a game where I played 10 minutes, there’s a game where I scored one point against a mid-major team. It’s just understanding how to play with these players here. Then it’s just playing basketball at the end of the day. That’s something I didn’t really do early in the season.”

Colorado didn’t make it easy for the Mountaineers. The largest lead was 12 points very early on. Then, when WVU seemed to be pulling away, Colorado punched right back, keeping the lead under double digits.

At one point, Colorado went on a 12-2 run midway through the second half, with a pair of 3-pointers, one from Barrington Hargress, and took its first lead of the game, 43-42. Hodge called a timeout.

Hargress led Colorado with 15 points, and the Buffaloes had three players shoot in double digits.

Out of the timeout, WVU swiftly took back the lead and went on an 11-3 run, which included a 3-pointer from Eaglestaff. From there, WVU kept pouring it on, with a couple of 3-pointers, and closed it out.

But it wasn’t perfect. Other than the late silencers, the Mountaineers couldn’t really find their footing from behind the arc. WVU shot 6 for 22 with prominent 3-point shooter Honor Huff going 2-for-7 from behind the arc with 14 points. Huff hit a big 3-pointer late in the game, making it 65-56 with 4:26 to play.

WVU had to do most of its work in the paint and on the glass. The Mountaineers had 30 points in the paint. WVU heavily outrebounded Colorado 38-22. It helped that the Buffaloes’ center, Elijah Malone, fouled out with 19 minutes left to play in the game. Brenen Lorient led with six boards.

The Mountaineers were pretty accurate from the floor and shot a season-high 52%. And on the opposite end, WVU held Colorado to just 39.3% shooting and 61 points. Colorado averaged over 80 points per game, coming into Saturday night. The Buffaloes had some key turnovers late and coughed up the ball six times.

“We shot 39% from the field,” Boyle said. “Credit West Virginia’s defense. They’re a good defensive team. They are really well coached on that end of the floor.

WVU hits the road for the next two games. The Mountaineers head to Arizona State on Jan. 21 and then to top-ranked Arizona on Jan. 24. WVU needs to figure out a way to bring the home success onto the road.

“Let’s take it on the road,” Huff said. “We have to figure out ways to be as consistent as we can be at home on the road. It’s easier said than done.