WVU Basketball Survives Disastrous 2nd Half to Win on Senior Day

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — WVU basketball sent its seniors off in style with a 72-65 win over UCF on a celebratory Saturday afternoon inside the Coliseum.

Javon Small led the Mountaineers’ five-man senior class with 25 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in his final career game in Morgantown. Small, Toby Okani, Joseph Yesufu, Eduardo Andre and Jake Auer were honored in a pregame ceremony.

The Mountaineers finish the 2024-25 regular season with a 19-12 overall record (10-10 Big 12) and a 13-4 mark at home.

WVU led Saturday’s game wire-to-wire over the visiting Golden Knights (16-15, 7-13). UCF tailed by just six after seven minutes of play, but eight straight points from Small put the Mountaineers up 14, 25-11, and the Knights never got the lead back to single digits before halftime.

Small caught fire in what was a 19-point first half for the senior point guard. He connected on five three-pointers before halftime, more than he has made in all but two other games this season. He also pulled down five boards and dished out four assists.

WVU’s lead reached 20 points on a Sencire Harris fastbreak layup that was part of a 9-0 run by the Mountaineers. UCF went five minutes without a field goal in the first half, during which the West Virginia’s lead increased from 16 points to 26. 

The Mountaineers eventually led 47-25 at the break.

The Golden Knights came out with renewed energy in the second half and played like the better team throughout. An early 9-0 run cut WVU’s lead down to 16 points after three minutes of play.

The Mountaineers briefly got their lead back over 20 points on back-to-back baskets by Jonathan Powell and Amani Hansberry, but a 10-0 run by UCF cut the lead down to 11, 60-49, with less than 10 minutes left.

West Virginia struggled from the floor after halftime, shooting just 7-24. The Mountaineers also turned the ball over 13 times in the second half.

Back-to-back three-pointers by UCF’s Moustapha Thiam and JJ Taylor cut the West Virginia lead all the way down to just six, 64-58, with five minutes left to play.

Following a three from Powell, UCF scored the next six points to get within three points, 67-64. Another Powell three gave the Mountaineers a six-point lead with 1:16 left.

A pair of free throws by Small with 15 seconds left helped the Mountaineers hang on for the Senior Day victory.

Small led the Mountaineers with 25 points, only scoring six after his blistering first half. Hansberry finished with 18 and Powell had 15.

Darius Johnson led all scorers with 27 to lead the Golden Knights. Thiam finished with 13 and Taylor had 12. UCF shot 50% from the field in the second half.

With the win, WVU basketball leapfrog Kansas State and TCU in the Big 12 standings, both of whom lost earlier in the day Saturday. The Mountaineers have secured a first-round bye for next week’s Big 12 Tournament and could get as high as the No. 7 seed with a Kansas loss.

Watch the seniors sing Country Roads at home for the last time below.

Country Roads 🎶 @WVUhoops @WVSportsNow pic.twitter.com/inmTlRCEym

— Kelsie LeRose (@lerosephotos) March 9, 2025