West Virginia Suffers Brutal OT Loss in Waco

Waco, TX – West Virginia battle Baylor into overtime, but despite making a field goal (0-3) in the extra period, the Bears (16-9, 8-6) survive after going 9-12 from the free throw line to defeat the Mountaineers (15-10, 6-8) Saturday afternoon 74-71.

West Virginia senior guard Javon Small led all scorers with 22 points and six assists while senior guard Toby Okani was not far behind with 19 points and seven rebounds.

West Virginia senior guard Toby Okani buried a three from the right wing for the Mountaineers’ first bucket of the game but consecutive threes from Baylor guards redshirt junior Langston Love and freshman Robert Wright had the bears up three, 8-5 heading into the first media timeout.

Toby Okani tied the game at 10 with a corner three but senior guard Jalen Celestine answered with a straightaway three and a pair of free throws from Love capped a 5-0 spurt for a 10-15 lead at the 12:59 mark of the first half.

Baylor held 19-14 lead until West Virginia put together a 7-2 run, with sophomore Sencire Harris working for the offensive putback and Javon Small burying a three to tie the game at 21with 5:10 remaining in the half.

West Virginia was held scoreless for nearly five minutes before a cut to the basket from the wing and a pass delivered by Okani led to a dunk, and Small followed with a floater in the lane to get within five at halftime, 30-25.

Baylor grabbed a seven-point lead off the jumper from freshman V.J. Edgecombe to start the second half but the Mountaineers came out hot, constructing a 14-2 run, receiving threes from Okani freshman Jonathan Powell hit the three and was fouled, and Harris hit from the right side for a 39-34 advantage at the 16:25 mark.

The Bears responded with an 12-2 run to reclaim the lead 46-41 with Jayden Nunn receiving the bucket and the foul and Celestine got call after a three for the five-point advantage with 12 minutes left to play.

West Virginia trailed by six until threes from Small and Yesufu finished an 8-0 run to regain the lead, 54-52 with 6:13 remining in the game.

West Virginia and Baylor went back and forth with the Mountaineers tying the game at 65 following a pair of free throws from sophomore Amani Hansberry with 24.5 seconds.

Robert Wright drove the lane and released a floater with five seconds remaining that was off the mark and the game went into overtime.

Langston Love received a late foul call on the drive to the bucket for a pair of free throws and the lead, 67-65, with three minutes remaining.

Robert Right got a call on Joseph Yesufu near midcourt for a pair of free throws to put the Bears up four before Hansberry hit a turnaround contested jumper near the rim to get WVU within two with 1:15 left to play.

Another drive to the basket by the Bears was followed by another whistle and a pair of free throws to push the lead to four.

Javon Small would cut it to twice with a jumper, then two free throws but despite not making a field goal in overtime, the Bears went 9-12 from the free throw line in the extra period for the 74-71 victory.