The American University men's basketball team could not find an answer for a hot shooting West Virginia team Wednesday night in a 71-50 loss in Morgantown, W.Va.

Vlad Moldoveanu scored a team-high 19 points to lead the Eagles, connecting on 7-of-17 attempts from the floor. Troy Brewer added nine as the Eagles were held to their lowest point total of the year. American finished the game shooting just 36.7 percent (18-49) while the Mountaineers hit 51.0 percent (26-51) of their attempts.

American (5-2) trailed 6-4 following a pair of Stephen Lumpkins buckets but a four-minute dry spell allowed the Mountaineers to open a 17-4 lead. West Virginia (5-1) kept the pressure on, scoring eight points off eight Eagle turnovers, and led by as many 16 points before the break.

The Eagles were able to close out the half on a 7-3 run, cutting their deficit to 12 at the buzzer on a Simon McCormack tip-in, 32-20. American held a 16-6 advantage in points in the paint through the first 20 minutes but trailed in large part due to a 46.2 (12-26) percent shooting performance by the Mountaineers.

West Virginia extended its advantage to 44-26 out of the intermission with a 12-6 run. American would pull to within 14 after four straight Moldoveanu points but could not keep pace with the Mountaineers down the stretch. West Virginia's lead reached as many as 25 points with just over 1:00 to play before the final horn sounded the 71-50 victory.

West Virginia finished the game shooting 51.0 percent (26-51) from the field, including a 56.0 percent (14-25) mark in the second half. Casey Mitchell paced the Mountaineers with 27 points on 8-of-11 shooting and a 10-of-11 performance from the line.

American will return to action on Sunday, December 5 against No. 16 Florida in the BB&T Classic at Verizon Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. Tickets are still available for the game and can be purchased through the American Ticket Office by calling (202) 885-TIXX.