West Virginia men’s basketball entered Friday ready to play it’s third game in just over 48 hours. They were worn facing a roller coaster of emotions after an upset win over No. 3 Gonzaga that was followed by a loss to Louisville the next day. They were down following back-to-back overtime games, and they were down a player on a roster without a ton of depth anyway.
None of that stopped them from giving another A+ effort in their third matchup of the week against No. 24 Arizona. And despite facing another ranked foe and having to play yet another overtime game, the Mountaineers handed the Wildcats their first taste of loss in the Big 12 before conference play even began as they battled to a 84-76 win.
A big stat that shined for WVU was points off turnovers — despite having more turnovers than they forced, the Mountaineers converted 10 turnovers into 24 points, compared to the Wildcats converting just 6 points off 14 turnovers. The Mountaineers also outrebounded the Wildcats 40-39 — another solid performance on the boards for an undersized team for whom rebounding was a concern entering the season.
It was another gritty performance from the Mountaineers in a week of gritty performances by the program, and it helped them secure their second win over a Top 25 foe in three days. It raises potential for a team that had few high expectations entering the season to potentially earn a Top 25 ranking before conference play begins, especially if their loss to Louisville can be bolstered if the Cardinals win The Battle 4 Atlantis — they’ll meet Oklahoma in the title game later on Friday.
The Mountaineers were paced by a three-point clinic from senior forward Tucker DeVries, who went 8-of-12 from behind-the-arc in a 26 point, 6 assist performance. Forward Toby Okani had his first major offensive explosion of the season with a 20-point performance. Javon Small added 14 points and led the team with 8 assists, while Amani Hansberry recorded his first double-double of the year with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
