MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In a commanding performance, Tucker DeVries scored 18 points and Javon Small contributed 15 as West Virginia overwhelmed Robert Morris with a final score of 87-59. This game marked the first for new head coach Darian DeVries, who took over in March after six successful seasons at Drake, succeeding interim coach Josh Eilert.

Tucker DeVries, a former two-time Missouri Valley Conference player of the year, made the move from Drake to join his dad’s team. He established dominance right from the start, scoring the first eight points for West Virginia. The Mountaineers quickly built an impressive 30-2 lead within the first eight minutes, highlighted by a 21-0 scoring streak.

During the first half, Tucker DeVries led all scorers with 14 points, hitting 4 of 7 attempts beyond the arc. At halftime, West Virginia had a comfortable lead of 46-26 after nailing nine three-pointers and limiting Robert Morris to a mere 32% shooting percentage, with an overall tally of 11-for-34.

Toby Okani added 13 points to the scoreboard, while Jonathan Powell chipped in with 11. Freshman KJ Tenner also made a notable contribution with 10 points. Additionally, Amani Hansberry secured 12 rebounds along with his nine points. West Virginia has maintained their winning streak against Robert Morris, achieving victory in the last 14 encounters between the two teams.

On the other hand, Robert Morris was led by Josh Omojafo, who scored 13 points and achieved a perfect performance at the free-throw line, going 7 for 7. West Virginia’s guard, Jayden Stone, who previously had three games with over 30 points at Detroit Mercy last season, was unable to play due to an upper body injury and is currently listed as day-to-day.

A technical issue arose during the second half as the shot clock above the West Virginia basket malfunctioned, leading to a temporary shot clock being placed on the court near the photographers along the baseline.