WVU topped Cincinnati in the second matchup of the season between the two teams 62-59. The Mountaineers pick up a huge win late in the season with hopes of still making the NCAA Tournament.
The Mountaineers got off to a red-hot start in the first half, connecting on 10 of their first 15 field goal attempts. The offense started to get cold after that start, and the team went into the locker room at halftime with only a two-point lead as they lead 29-27 going into the half. WVU still managed to shoot 45.8% from the field and 33.3% from the arc. Javon Small’s 10 first-half points were enough to lead the Mountaineers in the half.
WVU got off to a cold start in the second half, shooting just 29.4% from the field going into the under-12 media timeout, allowing Cincinnati to take the lead at multiple points, with their largest lead being six. Amani Hansberry had a big second half for WVU with nine points and eight rebounds to help the Mountaineers charge back in front. Clutch threes from Hansberry and Powell allowed the Mountaineers to go up by six with under three minutes remaining. Cincinnati made it close at the end, charging back to make it a three-point game with under a minute remaining and forced a turnover on the inbound play to regain possession with 3.7 seconds remaining with the chance to tie the game. Cincinnati’s three went off the front of the rim and the Mountaineers survived the late comeback from the Bearcats.
Three Mountaineers players surpasses double-digit points in this one: Amani Hansberry with 17, Javon Small with 16, and Jonathan Powell with 12.
WVU picks up a huge win with their chances to make the NCAA Tournament dropping after their recent stretch of losing three out of four and giving themselves some work to do.
The Mountaineers who improved their record to 16-10 will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 22, when they travel down to Lubbock, Texas, for a matchup with No. 9 Texas Tech at 1:00 pm EST. The game will be televised on ESPN+.
