CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia 's first Top Ten appearance in 24 years will be short-lived.
So was its ownership of the nation's longest winning streak.
Mark Patton had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Marshall beat No. 9 West Virginia 58-52 on Wednesday night, ending the Mountaineers' winning streak at 12 games.
Center Kevin Pittsnogle had guaranteed a win for West Virginia (14-4), but the Mountaineers were held to a season low for points and fell to their cross-state rival for the second straight year, the first time that's happened since 1981-82.
"After a guarantee like that, it's a good thing we showed up tonight," Patton said. "This is how it is every year in Charleston. It is always back and forth like that."
Pittsnogle didn't apologize for his prediction.
"I'm still glad I said it," he said. "There's nothing wrong with what I said. I think it was just more like confidence."
Marshall (8-9) usually finds more motivation for this game because the Thundering Herd is considered second fiddle in a state with only two Division I teams. The meeting also occurs in the middle of West Virginia's rough Big East schedule.
"They came out with more intensity," West Virginia's Mike Gansey said. "This is kind of like their Super Bowl. It's just another game for us."
It was the Thundering Herd's first win over a top-10 opponent since beating St. John's in 1971.
It marked the fourth straight meeting between the schools to be decided by six points or less. West Virginia has failed to score more than 55 points in the last three meetings.
Marshall coach Ron Jirsa said his team "didn't do anything special. They just played smart and kept themselves focused."
Pittsnogle led West Virginia with 20 points but got little support. Gansey was held to 10 points -- 10 below his average.
West Virginia, outrebounded badly and unable to find its bread-and-butter 3-point shot, never led in the second half and went 7 minutes without a field goal late in the game.
Marshall's Markel Humphrey hit a 3-pointer and Patton outwrestled three West Virginia players for a rebound and hit the putback for the Thundering Herd's largest lead, 47-40, with 4:26 left.
West Virginia scored the next seven points and tied the score on Patrick Beilein's layup with 2:08 remaining.
But Patton put Marshall ahead to stay with a short jumper with 1:32 left. Tre Whitted, who went 0-for-8 from the field in Marshall's last game, then hit a 3-pointer for a 52-47 lead.
Pittsnogle answered with a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left, but Marshall sealed the win by making six straight free throws in the final 25 seconds.
Joe Miles added 13 points for Marshall and Whitted finished with 11.
West Virginia ranks second nationally with 10 3-pointers per game but shot poorly from the outside for the fourth straight year against Marshall at the Charleston Civic Center. West Virginia was 5-of-29 on 3-pointers and shot 35 percent overall.
