5:23: Football lords over everything, even on a basketball night. Oliver Luck has issued a statement regarding Geno Smith’s comments on the officiating following Saturday’s game:

“WVU adheres to the code of conduct and sportsmanship policies adopted by the BIG EAST Conference, which includes commenting on officiating.

“We have addressed this with Geno Smith, and he has been reprimanded for his comments, regarding the officiating following last Saturday’s game with Cincinnati.”

More on this tomorrow in the Friday Feedback, but Luck seems to be saying, “We agree with the policy, but we neither agree nor disagree or the comments and we are doing this because we have to.”

Here’s the comment in question, by the way.

“All year we’ve been getting bad calls and today was one of the worst I can remember. It’s getting out of hand at this point,” Smith said after the game.

It was almost as if the officials were trying to make WVU pay for leaving the conference.

“I can’t speak to that,” he said. “When there’s obvious things that happen, it’s hard to overcome it as a team,” Smith said.

5:40: Had to change the initial title. Not that I forgot Steve McNair was no longer alive, but I overlooked the play on words in the title. To the treadmill.

6:56: Working on the F Double and Xavier ties WVU with five minutes to go. I’d love to know the winning percentage when teams give up that heartbreaker at the end of regulation. I would guess it’s not good.

6:58: If Alcorn State wins, just disband the WVU program. The Braves were 4-23 last season and changed everything. New coach and 14 new players.

6:59: When Kevin Jones gets his third offensive rebound tonight — and he will — he’s No. 1 in school history. Chris Brooks has the record now with 320.

7:00: Same starting five for WVU. I like it. No need to panic. I am curious to see the rotation and the minutes tonight.

7:01: There are several dozen people here tonight. The rest are not at the soccer match, either.

7:02: When is our first 7NA? I’m guessing 7:22. Closest withing two minutes either way wins absolutely nothing.

7:03: One down, two to go for KJ. He has a stick back after a Deniz jumper and a 3-pointer for a 5-0 lead.

7:05: And WVU trails, 6-5. KJ has misses two 3s and Miles ate one in between when he gave up a backcut.

7:06: Jones again on a putback. He has seven points, Alcorn State has six.

7:07: First subs: Tom McCune for Miles and Gary Browne for Jabarie Hinds at the 16:45 mark.

7:07: Just noticed we have a good and recognizable crew: Les Jones, Bob Donato and Tony Greene.

7:09: And KJ has the record after McCune badly misses a 3.

7:16: Tied 13-10 here and it’s … it’s just out there. Team fouls: Alcorn State has seven, WVU has zero. Mountaineers in the bonus as Gary Brown finishes a three-point play with 14:01 to go.

7:19: WVU’s best offense is for KJ to get away from the ball, let someone else shoot and then have KJ grab the rebound and score. He had 15 points and 10 are on on second-chance points. It’s 21-12 with 12:07 to go as ASO calls a timeout.

7:20: 7NA! Winner? This guy.

7:21: And Paul Williamson is in the game and makes a 3. It’s 24-12 and reality is taking over just a little.

7:23: LeBlanc out! WVU survives all sorts of curses and beats Xavier, 2-1. Onto, I presume, College Park, Md., and a rematch with Maryland. WVU lost there early in the season and, by all accounts, was hosed by the officials.

7:27: Williamson comes out of the game to a nice ovation … and no one will give him a seat on the bench. No one got up to greet him either. He’s seated up front now, next to Will Hahn.

7:30: WVU’s first turnover comes with 9:28 left in the half.

7:30: Second turnover with 9:06 to go.

7:32: Truck Bryant: Two points, three fouls. There is still 8:37 left in the half, though I don’t think Huggins is worried.

7:34: Poor Miles. Can’t get anything right. Leaks out to start a break after Gary Browne catches an air ball. Browne fires it up to Miles, who dribbles twice and jumps and deftly lays the ball off the glass and bounces it in for a basket … but also a charge. Pretty sure the defender was in the semi-circle, though he was set. It’s 29-16 now.

7:43: Poor Miles. Gets fouled, gets two free throws, misses one and has the second one taken when Kilicli steps over the line. Stuck in a lull here at 31-18.

7:44: Tricky 3 makes it a 10-point game.

7:45: Forsythe just did everything right to get open in the post, but didn’t go after the ball when it was passed to him. And Huggins is  in the time out telling Forsythe — and I’m paraphrasing, of course — to get the ball.

7:48: Poor Miles.KJ hesitates to pass and gets Miles to jump too early. Miles can’t get the pass and WVU turns it over. Miles then fouls Xavian Rimmer, who makes two free throws. It’s 31-23 and Truck is in the game.

7:49: Truck is in to get WVU into offense and he never even thinks about taking the ball to the basket. They run a play and Noreen cuts for a layup. ASU turns it over and Browne, who is handling the dribbling because Truck doesn’t have the ball, travels.

7:52: People are going to be writing about Paul Williamson tonight. He has two 3s. Might as well hoist them while he can.

7:53: Huggins uses his first-half timeout with 22.2 seconds to go ahead 41-28. If Williamson doesn’t shoot it, we riot. And if Williamson does shoot it and he scores, I think we still riot.

7:55: Well, Williamson cut and drew a defender and skipped it to Hinds for a 3. That’s a pretty heady play. You can riot if you want. WVU restores a 16-point lead at the half, 44-28.

8:10: Most surprising stat of the first half: WVU has nine turnovers, all in the final 9:28, and Truck has none. Runner up? KJ has 20 points and 10 rebounds.

8:15: Kilicli runs the break with Truck and takes a pass on the left side and Kilicli dunks and manages an air ball.

8:19: Change in the statistics. WVU’s first turnover came with 11:26 left in the half. The point remains. As for Mr. Jones, he has nine offensive rebounds and 14 second-chance points as part of what is now 24 and 12. He has what is believed to be the school record with 11 last year against Louisville. That one’s going down tonight.

8:29: Sorry, sidetracked reading this Bernie Fine story. Whoa boy. Then ASU calls a timeout and jumps intoa press, which WVU seemed to expect. Truck dribbles to the sideline, is triple-teamed and calls a timeout. The ball is promptly turned over on the inbound and ASU makes a 3.

8:37: KJ is padding his stats — misses a dunk, grabs the rebound and lays it in. Truck makes a 3. It’s 69-40 and … zzzzzzzz.

8:44: Pat Forsythe doing things in the second half here.

8:46: I love it when teams fall behind and do this: ASU has made four straight 3s while going 1-for-4 at the foul line. Pull!

8:54: Truck rallies to 18 points (16 in the second half) and Jones has 29 and 13 as they take a seat for the remainder of this one.

9:00: Refs just want to go home now. Refused three times to blow a whistle when one was needed. And I’m fine with that.

9:01: Crowd <3 Williamson, who hurries back to stop a layup and nearly causes a turnover.

9:04: Attendance tonight will be reported as larger than Tuesday morning … which cannot be true.

9:11: Nique Rutledge is He’s flat-footed right of the rim. Gary Brown flicks a pass and Rutledge tries to dunk. That’s the word on him. He’s the guy who tries to dunk it when he’s got it near the rim. Brown, by the way, has 11 rebounds. Noreen cleaning up with 12 points.

9:13: Final: 97-62. Story is Kevin Jones and offensive rebounds. Done.