The Big 12’s giant slayers face their final ranked opponent of the regular season on Saturday night.
West Virginia, which gained a reputation for taking down ranked programs early this season, will look to build on its 4-3 record against top 25 teams against BYU. WVU kicked off its season at 3-0 against top 25 teams and has since gone 1-3, with its only win coming against former No. 2 team Iowa State.
BYU enters the game at 20-8 overall, 11-6 in Big 12 play, and at No. 25 in the AP poll. West Virginia will look to take down the Cougars in efforts of making a final push for an NCAA Tournament berth.
Tip-off is set for 10 p.m. in Provo and on ESPN2.
West Virginia will start the Big 12’s second highest scorer, senior Javon Small, at guard, alongside sophomore Sencire Harris and freshman Jonathan Powell, and 6-foot-8 forwards Toby Okani and Amani Hansberry in the frontcourt.
BYU starts 6-foot-9 freshman Egor Demin, junior Richie Saunders, and graduate student Trevin Knell as guards, graduate student Mawot Mag at forward, and junior Keba Keita at center.
1st Half
Keita and Small exchange two-pointers in first two possessions. Quick pace allows three minutes to fly by afterwards with no points scored until Saunders drives in to break the streak. BYU leads 4-2.
Out of a timeout, BYU scores with a putback by Fousseyni Traore. With just over five minutes past, West Virginia finally scores again, with Eduardo Andre rebounding and scoring off a missed Jonathan Powell floater from in the paint.
Traore matches Andre with two free throws, gained from fighting through Andre’s interior defense. WVU fails to score, giving Traore another chance to score in the post over Andre. BYU leads 10-4.
Andre goes to the bench during a timeout with just over eight minutes played. Hansberry attempts to guard Traore and fouls him on the floor before allowing an offensive rebound and drawn foul from KJ Tenner. Traore misses from the line.
Javon Small gets on the board again, faking a three and weaving through the defense for a layup inside. WVU trails 10-6. Small is 2-for-4.
Joseph Yesufu builds WVU momentum, making an explosive dunk in transition. Freshman Kanon Catchings follows Yesufu for a block attempt but misses and exits the floor with an apparent injury.
Both teams trade several missed three-point attempts. Combined, WVU and BYU are 0-for-12 from long range.
BYU picks up three points out of the timeout, with a free throw from Demin and a driving layup from Richie Saunders. Hansberry fights back with a three to cut the BYU lead to 13-11.
Powell picks up his first point, making his first of two shots at the line before subbing out for Harris, who grabs a steal to score in transition. WVU leads for the first time, 14-13.
Andre boxes out, letting Okani grab an offensive rebound on a miss by Harris. Okani finds Small, who lets his defender fly by him before knocking down WVU’s second three.
Trevin Knell breaks WVU’s 9-0 run, tipping in Hall’s miss. Small tries to match it but is blocked by Saunders, whose pass Sencire Harris intercepts for a fast break bucket.
BYU picks up four points. Okani battles for an offensive rebound but cannot turn it into points, then fouls Saunders on the other end. Saunders knocks down two to put BYU up 21-19.
Traore gets back to work to put BYU up four with one minute remaining in the half. Small attempts to make up for it but cannot get through three defenders without losing the ball out of bounds. DeVries calls timeout.
Only Traore scores in the final 23 seconds after the WVU timeout. BYU leads 25-19 at the half after a 10-0 run.
2nd Half
Egor Demin kicks off the half with a three, assisted by Saunders. WVU cannot match it, and Saunders finds his way through Small to put BYU up 11.
BYU picks up three more before Small finally gets to the line from BYU’s consistent pressure. Small makes both to cut the BYU lead to 33-21.
Hansberry gets an open look at the top of the key but misses it off the side of the rim, which sends the ball out of bounds. Keita Keba takes advantage, catching a Demin assist down the lane for a two-handed slam.
Powell knocks down a three. On the other end, Andre finally stops Traore, but WVU cannot make the most of it offensively. Demin spins in the paint to put BYU back up 13.
Demin gets his second straight bucket with an and-one opportunity. Demin knocks it down for his ninth point of the game.
Powell and Traore trade baskets before Javon Small attempts a highlight play, which is waved off by a foul on the floor. Small makes up for it with a step-back three from the right wing.
Traore counters Small’s three with a three-point play opportunity inside but misses the free throw. Andre gets the foul, his third. Traore scores again inside to put BYU up 17.
Traore gets to 18 points right out of the timeout. Hansberry wrestles for an offensive rebound off Harris’ miss to match it on the lay in. He then blocks Traore with his hands straight up, but sends it back to him for a second chance. Traore has 20. BYU has 50.
Yesufu attempts to build momentum with a mid-range make, but Demin silences him with his second three of the night. Dallin Hall follows suit with another three. Harris compensates from inside the arc. BYU leads 56-37 with 8:47 to go.
Trey Stewart knocks down a three to force a WVU timeout. BYU is 3-for-3 on its last few attempts from behind the arc.
Okani uses speed to get a running floater inside out of the timeout. Dawson Baker matches it, and Okani turns the ball over with an offensive foul.
West Virginia’s messy offensive possession sums up the game for the Mountaineers. Javon Small struggles to hold onto a dribble, and Andre cannot catch the pass through heavy defense.
BYU has no issue scoring more, getting to 70 points with 3:51 to go. After the timeout, Jake Auer gets time for WVU and makes his first attempt from three. Yesufu picks up five points in the final minutes.
BYU takes down West Virginia, 77-56.
Photo by Korey Moore, Blue Gold Sports
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