In previewing last night’s 75-71 Marshall victory in the Capital Classic, we disclosed three keys:

I think it’s simple tonight. Three factors and whoever wins two out of three, or sweeps, wins the game:

1) Marshall, as you might expect, plays a lot like recent Pitt teams. That means the Thundering Herd will “sag” on defense, congest the lane and allow the ball to move around the perimeter, but also jump right inside a WVU jersey once the a Mountaineer receives the ball. Marshall also has very good guards and some depth in the backcourt. If they can pressure the perimeter and guard the 3-point line and protect against penetration — a la Pudue, which made it very hard for WVU to shoot the ball or see inside to dribble/pass — they have a very good chance. Who’s backcourt scores more points?

That was Marshall. Damier Pitts had 25 points, DeAndre Kane had 18 and Shaquille Johnson had seven — and they were really good at the start of the second half.

Casey Mitchell had 18 for WVU and Truck Bryant and Joe Mazzulla both added 10. Zeroes from Dalton Pepper and Jonnie West.

Marshall’s three guards were 7-for-18 from 3-point range. WVU’s three guards were 4-for-17 and Pepper added an 0-for-1.

Additionally, neither team’s guards were very good at getting in the lane, which means the defense was there. WVU switched to a matchup zone and Mazzulla and Mitchell protected the lane. WVU’s three guards were a combined 18-for-20 at the foul line — but consider Mitchell and Truck were 9-for-9 when fouled shooting 3s.

2) This is going to be a game of runs, as most basketball game are, and the winner will be able to either sustain its runs or manage the opponent’s. Again, that’s a fairly common thread, but what may lead to those runs will matter most. Marshall turns the ball over a lot. It has a negative assist-turnover ratio. WVU has been schizophrenic with regard to turnovers — see first half. vs. second half Sunday — but is generally effective/efficient when it takes care of the ball and in danger when it just gives away possessions. Expect turnovers to be in abundance. Who does more with the other team’s turnovers?

That, too, went to Marshall. WVU was again awful in the first half and Truck simply threw the ball out of bounds on WVU’s first possession, and then again a few times later in the half. The Mountaineers turned it over 10 times and that led to 12 points for Marshall, which, not coincidentally, led by 14 going into the locker room.

The Mountaineers were better in the second half, but their only three turnovers led to nine points.

Marshall committed just 12 turnovers — one fewer than WVU — and contributed to only eight points.

Marshall did its damage with virtually no defense-to-offense transition. The Herd had only two steals, but Shaquille Johnson was fouled trying to dunk on one fast break (he made two free throws) and then later had a steal that led to a transition 3 by Dago Pena. WVU had no fast break points.

3) There will be fouls and this will be a close game. Points will be at a premium. The free-throw line is critical and neither team is very good there. WVU shoots 69.1 percent, Marshall 67.3. And, once again, you know the officials will announce their presence with authority. Marshall is 12-1 when it makes more free throws than the opponent and 0-4 when it makes fewer. WVU is 10-0 when it attempts more free throws. In its four losses, opponents attempt 30 free throws. In the 12 wins opponents attempt 17.5. Who is more productive at the line?

The key word there was “productive.” The Mountaineers actually had better numbers : 26-for-35, 74.3 percent. Marshall was 23-for-35, 65.7 percent. Yet who wa smore productive?

WVU was 3-for-9 in the first half … and needed help. Mazzulla ended a five-minute scoring drought when he made two free throws, but only after Marshall curiously committed a lane violation on the first shot of a two-shot foul. WVU was 3-for-8 when the Herd was making their big run in the first half. Marshall was 11-for-15 in the first half.

That said, WVU got back into the game in the second half, and then stayed there, by making free throws. We’ll call this a push, though with a Marshall lean because of the numbers in the first half and the silly foulingof 3-point shooters in the second half, and especially late.

Whatever the case, Marshall clearly won two of the three, as well as the game.