West Virginia closed out the regular season with a 72-65 victory over UCF at the WVU Coliseum on Saturday night, powered by senior Javon Small’s 25-point performance. The Mountaineers built a commanding first-half lead, but had to weather a strong second-half comeback from the Knights to secure the win.
A sellout crowd erupted as WVU surged ahead by 22 points in the first half, only to be on edge when UCF fought back after halftime. The Knights trimmed the deficit to 67-64 following a driving layup by Dior Johnson. However, freshman Jonathan Powell responded with a clutch three-pointer with 1:10 left, and Small sealed the victory with two free throws in the final seconds.
West Virginia’s largest lead came at 47-20 with 1:40 remaining in the first half, highlighted by one of Small’s five three-pointers. But in the second half, the Mountaineers struggled offensively, managing only four field goals in an eight-minute stretch. They attempted 15 of their 24 second-half shots from beyond the arc, connecting on just 29.2%. Meanwhile, UCF capitalized, hitting 50% of its 28 second-half attempts and outscoring WVU 40-25 after the break.
“The second half didn’t go as planned, but what I love about this group is their resilience,” WVU head coach Darian DeVries said. “When momentum shifted, they found a way to make big plays.”
Small finished with 25 points on 7-of-23 shooting, including 5-of-15 from three and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. DeVries praised Small’s season, calling it “one of the best individual seasons I’ve been around,” especially given the challenges of a new team and coaching staff.
Amani Hansberry contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Powell had a season-high 15 points in Big 12 play.
For UCF, Johnson led all scorers with 27 points, but Keyshawn Hall, the Big 12’s leading scorer, was held to just six points on 1-of-10 shooting. DeVries credited his team’s defense for keeping Hall out of the paint, limiting his effectiveness. Moustapha Thiam added 13 points for the Knights, who fell to 16-15 overall and 7-13 in conference play.
West Virginia’s win, in front of a crowd of 12,523, secured a .500 record in Big 12 play and an eighth-place finish, earning the team a first-round bye in next week’s conference tournament in Kansas City.
“I’m incredibly proud of this group for finishing strong, especially for the seniors who gave so much this season,” DeVries said.
With a 19-12 overall record, WVU’s NCAA Tournament chances now seem all but guaranteed. Before the game, the program honored its seniors in a special on-court ceremony.
65
72| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 40 | 65 | |
| 47 | 25 | 72 |
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