NASSAU, Bahamas — In an exciting conclusion to the Battle 4 Atlantis, Tucker DeVries led West Virginia to an 83-76 victory over No. 24 Arizona, finishing with 26 points. Javon Small was instrumental in overtime, converting 7 of 8 free throw attempts to secure the win for West Virginia. The Mountaineers began the extra period with a 7-2 spurt, highlighted by DeVries’ eighth and final 3-pointer. Toby Okani also contributed, hitting his third three minutes later to extend the lead to six points.
This match marked West Virginia’s third consecutive game reaching overtime within the tournament, improving their record to 5-2. Earlier in the week, they had claimed an impressive victory over No. 3 Gonzaga. In addition to DeVries, Okani put up 20 points, while Small finished with 14 points. Amani Hansberry made a notable contribution as well, recording a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
On the other side, Arizona struggled, with Caleb Love leading the team with 24 points on 9-of-20 shooting. Trey Townsend also played a key role, adding 19 points to the scoreboard for the Wildcats.
Despite some excellent performances, West Virginia battled inconsistencies from beyond the arc, with DeVries being a notable exception. He made 6 of 8 attempts from three-point range, while the rest of the team could only convert 1 out of 14 during a critical stretch in the second half. The Mountaineers finished the game shooting 12 of 34 from distance compared to Arizona’s 7 of 21.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred as regulation time wound down. West Virginia struggled offensively, missing 10 of their last 11 shot attempts. In a nail-biting climax, Small attempted a drive but was rejected by KJ Lewis. The ball then found its way to Love, who sank a clutch three-pointer with 14.1 seconds remaining, leveling the game at 66. Following a timeout, DeVries had a challenging fadeaway that missed as time expired, leading to overtime.
Statistically, Small stood out by playing over 40 minutes in all three games of the tournament. He also managed a solid performance against Arizona, finishing with eight assists while committing just three turnovers.
Looking ahead, Arizona will make their way back home to face Southern Utah on December 7, while West Virginia is set to host Georgetown on December 6.