Home All 50 US States US News Hub West Virginia embraces ‘No Excuses’ philosophy for narrow 62-61 victory against No. 7 Kansas despite plane issues and injuries.

West Virginia embraces ‘No Excuses’ philosophy for narrow 62-61 victory against No. 7 Kansas despite plane issues and injuries.

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West Virginia embraces ‘No Excuses’ philosophy for narrow 62-61 victory against No. 7 Kansas despite plane issues and injuries.

LAWRENCE, Kan. — West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries entered the post-game interview room at Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday wearing a “No Excuses” shirt, a fitting message after the Mountaineers unexpectedly triumphed over the seventh-ranked Kansas Jayhawks, marking their first win at the Phog in 12 attempts.

The pivotal moment came when Javon Small converted his second free throw with only 1.8 seconds remaining, clinching a narrow 62-61 victory for West Virginia. Kansas’s KJ Adams had the chance to secure a win for his team but failed to connect on a tough shot as time expired. Adding to the Mountaineers’ triumph was the fact that they were missing key players, including their second and third leading scorers, Tucker DeVries and Amani Hansberry, due to injuries.

The team faced various challenges in reaching Kansas, including mechanical issues with their charter flight, which delayed their arrival until the early morning hours of Tuesday instead of the expected 5:30 p.m. on Monday. To make matters worse, their hotel experienced a brief power outage, leaving the team with little rest before their Big 12 opener. “Travel day was tough,” acknowledged Coach DeVries, but he emphasized the importance of adapting to challenges outside their control. “Injuries, flight delays — those are things that you can’t control. Figure it out. I thought the guys did a good job of that.”

With the late night ahead, DeVries humorously remarked that they likely wouldn’t be celebrating the new year in style, stating, “We need to get some sleep tonight.”

Kansas had a long-standing advantage in conference openers, having not lost such a match since January 8, 1991. Despite a mostly empty Allen Fieldhouse due to winter break, the atmosphere was electric. The weary Mountaineers defied expectations by jumping to a significant lead, stretching it to 18 points early in the second half, even choosing to skip their morning shoot-around for extra rest.

Jayhawks coach Bill Self was critical of his team’s performance, describing it as “as miserable of an offensive team I’ve seen play in this building in 22 years. That was horrid.” Kansas, which was the preseason No. 1 team in the AP Top 25, now finds itself with a 9-3 record, the worst start since the 1991-92 season.

In contrast, West Virginia excelled on offense, recording 18 assists on their 26 made field goals, which counteracted their struggles from beyond the arc, where they shot only 30%. The Mountaineers’ defense effectively contained All-American center Hunter Dickinson, limiting him to just 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting. Whenever Kansas attempted to mount a comeback, such as a 15-2 run in the second half, West Virginia responded appropriately.

The Jayhawks narrowed the gap to 50-48 when KJ Tenner scored a jumper followed by a three-pointer from former Kansas player Joseph Yesufu. They continued to push and even tied it at 61 with just 16 seconds left when Zeke Mayo converted a three-point play. However, Small was soon fouled by Kansas freshman Flory Bidunga, allowing him to regain the lead after converting one of two free throws.

In the final moments, Adams might have been fouled on his potential game-winner, but the officials ruled it wasn’t a foul, a decision that the coach expressed frustration about, acknowledging the likelihood of inconsistency in officiating between a loss and a win. Self also noted a missed back-court violation that gave West Virginia an additional possession in the second half, but he chose to focus on his team’s overall play rather than these officiating missteps.

West Virginia’s performance set the tone for what looks to be a demanding season in the Big 12. They will welcome 2024 with optimism, while Kansas must regroup after suffering a painful defeat. “We’ll bounce back but we’re down,” said Self. “The league is a monster, and to win this league, you’re going to have to hold serve at home, and we didn’t accomplish that.”