Things looked bleak on New Year's Eve for West Virginia men's basketball. The odds were already against them as they opened Big 12 play on the road against No. 7 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, where the Mountaineers had never won. The worst part? Two starters -- Tucker DeVries and Amani Hansberry -- were out of action.
But the Mountaineers (10-2) showed no fear despite the improbability of pulling off the win, jumped out on an early run, and never let Kansas have the opportunity to lead. WVU would ride a season-high scoring performance from centerEduardo Andrewith 15 points and double-digit scoring performances from Javon Small and Johnathan Powell to their second Top 10 upset of the season to pull off a 62-61win
WVU's defense played a big role in the win, holding the Jayhawks (9-3) to 39% shooting and 25% from behind-the-arc. Kansas did take the advantage at the charity stripe, going 19-21 on free throws and secured 15 more free throws than WVU (6), but one of those six free throws for WVU was a Javon Small bucket that clinched the win with just over one second remaining to play.
Small also pulled off a double-double, leading the team with 11 rebounds and also pacing the team with 6 assists. The Mountaineers are now 1-0 in Big 12 play.
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