Heartbreaker in the Big 12: Kansas Falls to West Virginia by a Single Point, 62-61

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Javon Small sank the decisive free throw with 1.8 seconds left, and West Virginia clung on after squandering an 18-point lead in the second half to narrowly defeat seventh-ranked Kansas 62-61 in a thrilling Big 12 opener for both squads Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse.

Eduardo Andre netted 15 points and Small finished with 13 for the Mountaineers (10-2, 1-0), who established a 38-20 advantage despite being without two of their top three scorers due to injuries, only to see Kansas (9-3, 0-1) rally with a 15-2 run to regain their footing.

“We simply need to keep pushing through and stay united,” said Kansas head coach Bill Self. “We will improve. The truth is, we aren’t the squad we envisioned being by Jan. 1.”

Zeke Mayo, who led the Jayhawks with 27 points, converted a three-point play to equalize the score at 61 all with 16 seconds to go. Small was fouled by Kansas freshman Flory Bidunga on the other side and made the second of two free throws, while KJ Adams missed a tough shot as the clock expired that would have forced the game into overtime.

This was the first conference-opening defeat for Kansas since Jan. 8, 1991, and the first victory for the Mountaineers in 12 attempts in Allen Fieldhouse, having lost six of their previous seven matchups against the Jayhawks.

Key Takeaways

West Virginia played its fourth contest without star forward Tucker DeVries and was also missing significant player Amani Hansberry due to an ankle injury. Nevertheless, the Mountaineers only made six turnovers while remaining composed amid the din in the Phog.

Kansas struggled early, missing 15 of its initial 19 shots, continuously trying to claw out of a deficit throughout the match. Mayo gave the Jayhawks life by going 13 for 13 at the charity stripe, sinking several crucial free throws down the stretch.

Critical Moment

Small had a tough shooting night from the field, finishing 0 for 6 from beyond the arc. However, he tallied 11 rebounds and six assists, and most importantly made the pivotal free throw with just 1.8 seconds left on the clock.

Important Stat

Kansas converted 19 of 21 attempts from the free-throw line. In contrast, West Virginia managed only six attempts, making four — including the decisive shot.

Looking Ahead

West Virginia will face Oklahoma State on Saturday. Kansas will travel to UCF on Sunday.