By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo: Charlie Riedel/Associated Press
West Virginia Mountaineers upset No. 7 Kansas Jayhawks after a clutch free throw by Javon Small on Tuesday night with the final score of 62-61.
Center Eduardo Andre led the Mountaineers with 15 points and shot 7 of 9 from the field with six rebounds and four blocks. Small had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Jayhawks guard Zeke Mayo scored a game-high 27 points, and Hunter Dickinson finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
The Mountaineers improve to 10-2. Jayhawks fall to 9-3.
Both teams shot poorly from the three-point line. The Mountaineers made 30 percent of their threes, while the Jayhawks made 25 percent.
From the beginning of the game, the Tigers were dominant against the Jayhawks. They made the right plays, shared the ball, and played good defense.
The Mountaineers led 33-20 by halftime.
The Jayhawks played much better in the second half. They played pressure defense. In the last five minutes, both teams exchanged baskets. Anytime the Mountaineers hit a big shot, Mayo responded with Buckeyes of his own.
Mayo almost tied the game at 59-59, but Dickinson got the rebound and put the ball in the net to cut the deficit to one. Dickinson struggled in the first half but redeemed himself in the second half with his play and effort.
After getting a steal on defense, the Jayhawks came so close to grabbing the lead, but they failed to score.
The Mountaineers made a big stop at the end with the game-winning block to secure the win. For the first time, the Mountaineers won at Allen Fieldhouse.
The Mountaineers survived a Jayhawks comeback after taking much control throughout the game. After the game, Coach Darian DeVries spoke with the media about how his team needed to stay composed.
”We kept stressing was just to stay composed,” DeVries said. “That 4-0 run can then to 10, 12 in a hurry, so even though we didn’t score on a few possessions, I thought at least we managed some clock and were able to calm it kind of down a little bit.”
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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