After suffering their first loss in conference play to Arizona earlier this week, West Virginia was back on the road in Boulder for a matchup with the Colorado Buffaloes. Though winless in conference play thus far, Colorado does have a win over two-time defending national champion, UConn on their resume.
The Mountaineers (12-3, 3-1) were without the services of both Tucker DeVries (for the 7th-straight contest) and freshman KJ Tenner. Despite being shorthanded and a long way from Morgantown, WVU picked up the 78-70 victory as they improve to 3-1 in Big 12 play.
After taking an 11-point lead into halftime, Colorado made things close down the stretch in the second half, cutting the WVU lead to a one-possession game at several points. The Big 12’s leading scorer Javon Small was his typical-self engineering the Mountaineer offense, something WVU fans have come to expect this season. Small finished the night with 26 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds. He knocked down 4 three-point attempts and made 10 of 12 from the free throw line.
The West Virginia rotation was particularly thin, using just 8 players including walk-on Jake Auer. Both Sencire Harris and Eduardo Andre fouled out of the contest while Amani Hansberry collected 4 personals as well. Aside from Small, the game’s most notable performer who helped lead WVU to victory was Joseph Yesufu. Yesufu finished with season-high18 points and had a series of baskets in crunch time that helped WVU to extend their lead. Yesufu, who has had some big moments in a WVU uniform, undoubtedly had his best game and biggest contribution on Sunday afternoon in Boulder. He reached the double-digit scoring mark for just the second time all season, the previous coming in West Virginia’s blowout victory over NC Central on December 10th when he scored 14 points.
What does this win mean for West Virginia?
Big 12 road wins are no small accomplishment, and every victory from here on out in league play is crucial to eventually securing an at-large NCAA Tournament bid. While Colorado has yet to secure a conference victory, West Virginia did not want to be their first victim.
Although it is certainly early into conference play, West Virginia remains right in the thick of things in the Big 12 standings. At 3-1, the Mountaineers sit tied with Kansas and Baylor for second-place in the league. Meanwhile, Arizona, Houston, and Iowa State remain unbeaten at 4-0 in conference play.
The adversity doesn't end yet for the Mountaineers, however. West Virginia will have a pair of difficult tests next week as they are on the road at Houston on Wednesday night before hosting Iowa State in Morgantown on Saturday evening.