West Virginia capitalized on a crucial opportunity Tuesday night, securing a hard-fought 71-69 victory over Utah in their final Quad 1 matchup of the regular season. The Mountaineers battled through adversity to strengthen their NCAA Tournament resumé, holding on in a dramatic finish that saw Utah’s last-second heave blocked to seal the win.
Despite leading for just over seven minutes of the game, West Virginia made their final push count. The Mountaineers trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half but managed to take a narrow lead into halftime. The second half followed a similar back-and-forth pattern, with neither team able to take full control. However, WVU delivered in the closing minutes, surviving a frantic Utah comeback attempt to earn a marquee victory.
Utah came out firing, particularly from beyond the arc, with Gabe Madsen spearheading the early offensive onslaught. The Utes knocked down four three-pointers before West Virginia even had four field goals, jumping out to a commanding 19-7 lead. The Mountaineers struggled to find rhythm, opening just 3-of-13 from the floor. A quick 7-0 run forced a Utah timeout, and though both offenses hit a cold stretch, WVU clawed back, taking a 30-29 lead into the break.
The second half mirrored the first, with both teams trading baskets and defensive stops. Utah appeared poised to seize momentum with an 8-0 run, stretching their lead to 44-36 with just over 14 minutes remaining. However, West Virginia responded with a crucial sequence, cutting the deficit to one on a powerful dunk from Javon Small with 9:20 to play. Turnovers plagued both teams throughout the contest, particularly in the second half, with WVU finishing with 12 and Utah committing 15.
Jonathan Powell’s three-pointer gave WVU a brief lead before a sequence of fouls and free throws kept the score tight. Amani Hansberry’s deep shot tied the game at 54-54, setting up a tense final stretch. From there, Small and Eduardo Andre took over for the Mountaineers, making decisive plays that helped WVU take control. Andre, playing through a facial injury, grabbed two key rebounds, one leading to a Small three-pointer and the other setting up a lob dunk that forced Utah to call a timeout.
Out of the break, Utah’s Madsen drilled another three-pointer, but WVU’s Joe Yesufu immediately responded with one of his own. The Mountaineers forced a miss on the next possession, but Utah capitalized on an offensive rebound, drawing a foul and narrowing the gap. Small’s clutch floater extended WVU’s lead to four with under 40 seconds remaining.
With Utah forced to foul, Yesufu converted both free throws to push WVU’s advantage to six points. Madsen quickly answered with a three-pointer, and Powell’s turnover on the ensuing inbounds pass led to a Utah layup, cutting the deficit to just one. However, West Virginia held strong, as Noah Harris sank a free throw with 1.2 seconds left. Madsen’s desperation shot was then blocked, securing the Mountaineers’ victory.
West Virginia shot 46 percent from the field, connecting on eight three-pointers, while Utah finished at 38 percent with nine makes from deep. The Utes dominated from the free-throw line, attempting 32 shots compared to WVU’s 16, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Mountaineers’ late-game composure. Small led WVU with 18 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. With the victory, West Virginia snapped Utah’s five-game home win streak and picked up their sixth Quad 1 victory of the season, boosting their tournament hopes significantly.