WVU Overcomes Foul Bother, Altitude to Down Colorado – West Virginia College Athletics

West Virginia received a game-high 26 factors from the Massive 12’s main scorer Javon Small, nevertheless it was Joseph Yesufu’s 18 factors coming off the bench that actually made the distinction within the Mountaineers’ 78-70 victory over Colorado on the CU Occasions Heart in Boulder, Colorado.
 
Yesufu’s 18 factors got here on 6 of 9 capturing, together with 4 of 5 from the free throw line, with a pair of 3-pointers.
 
It was West Virginia’s first ever go to to the CU Occasions Heart, some 1,481 miles from Morgantown, West Virginia, and 5,430 ft above sea degree.
 
“It was a wierd sport,” West Virginia coach Darian DeVries mentioned afterward. “I believed the primary half we had a pleasant half. It was excellent, however we sort of managed the half and had been capable of create some turnovers and received a little bit ball motion.
 
“I believed they did a pleasant job within the second half. They received us a little bit stagnant with their switching and we sort of settled a little bit bit, and because the sport went on, we received a little bit fatigued as nicely,” DeVries mentioned.
 
Small (17) and Yesufu (13) mixed to attain 30 of West Virginia’s 38 second-half factors after the Mountaineers led 40-29 at halftime. Apart from 18 seconds, West Virginia led for the complete sport, nevertheless it received a little bit bushy within the second half when the Mountaineers received into foul hassle and the Colorado altitude started to put on down an undermanned WVU staff.
 
Small got here out on fireplace within the second half, knocking downs 3s at 18:43, 18:02 and 17:28 to present the Mountaineers their greatest lead of the sport, 49-35. 
 
However Colorado clawed again into it by attending to the free throw line.
 
The Buffs shot 28 free throws after intermission, making 24, and consequently, West Virginia misplaced two of its key gamers to fouls – Honest Harris with 5:28 left after which Eduardo Andre with 1:30 to go.
 
That meant WVU needed to end the sport with 6-foot-8 Toby Okani and 6-foot-6 Amani Hansberry the 2 tallest gamers on the ground.
 
It was Yesufu who got here up with two important large baskets, the primary a driving layup proper earlier than Andre fouled out after which one other with 1:23 left to maintain it a two-possession sport.
 
Yesufu and Small received the lead again to 10 with free throws, after which Hansberry iced it with two extra charities with 18 seconds left.
 
“I believed Joe had an enormous second half for us,” DeVries mentioned. “He is carried out an important job of continuous to maintain himself prepared and ready for that chance and we would have liked his velocity and his potential to get to the rim within the second half.
 
West Virginia, which shot 50% from the ground within the first half, cooled off a bit within the second half and completed the sport connecting on 45.5% of its discipline targets (25 of 55).
 
Small’s game-high 26 consisted of simply 6 of 17 capturing, however he made 4 of 10 from 3-point vary and was 10 of 12 on the free throw line. It is the seventh time he is scored greater than 20 factors in his final 12 video games.
 
The Mountaineers additionally received 12 factors on 5-of-5 capturing from Andre earlier than he exited the sport. The senior grabbed 4 rebounds and made a team-high 4 steals in a powerful all-around efficiency.
 
Freshman Jonathan Powell contributed 10 factors, all of these coming within the first half.
 
Colorado, which falls to 9-6 total and 0-4 in Massive 12 play, received 23 factors from Julian Hammond III. Assane Diop was the one different Buff to achieve double figures with 13.
 
“To Colorado’s credit score, they saved coming at us with contemporary legs and you possibly can begin to see it carrying on us a little bit bit,” DeVries mentioned.
 
Many of the specialty stats had been shut aside from factors off turnovers, the place West Virginia had a 12 to 2 edge. Colorado turned the ball over 14 instances in comparison with simply seven for West Virginia.
 
Right this moment’s victory provides West Virginia (12-3, 3-1) two convention highway wins for the primary time since 2023, and matches its league highway win totals of the 2023-24 seasons mixed. West Virginia gained twice on the highway in 2023 and didn’t win a Massive 12 away sport final yr.
 
“I do not care how we get it carried out, simply get it carried out,” DeVries mentioned. “General, an important staff effort and highway wins do not come simple, and this was actually an instance of that.”
 
WVU stays on the highway to play at 12^th-ranked Houston on Wednesday evening. The Cougars defeated Kansas State 87-57 yesterday in Manhattan, Kansas.