MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — In a strong performance on Saturday, West Virginia triumphed over Oklahoma State with a score of 69-50. Javon Small emerged as a standout player, contributing 24 points and securing 11 rebounds. Jonathan Powell also made his mark by adding 17 points to the scoreboard, ensuring that West Virginia maintained a lead throughout the game.
The Mountaineers, who now hold a record of 11-2 with a 2-0 mark in Big 12 play, displayed dominance with their seventh consecutive victory. Eduardo Andre played a crucial role as well, pulling down 10 rebounds. For Oklahoma State (8-5, 1-1), Marchellus Avery and Abou Osumane were the key offensive players, scoring 15 and 14 points respectively.
Despite leading by a significant margin for most of the second half, West Virginia’s scoring faltered at times due to the defensive pressure exerted by Oklahoma State, especially in the later part of the half, during which West Virginia was unable to score for six minutes. Andre hit a jump shot that extended the Mountaineers’ lead to 57-34, but Oklahoma State quickly countered with 10 consecutive points to narrow the score to 57-44. However, the Cowboys’ attempts to close the gap were hampered as they managed to hit only 2 out of 8 shots during the closing moments of the game.
Before halftime, Oklahoma State struggled significantly on offense, making just 25% of their shots (7 for 28) and failing to reach double digits until Avery’s three-pointer with just over five minutes left in the first half cut the deficit to 32-12. A series of successful free throws from Amani Hansberry, along with back-to-back three-pointers from Powell and Small, propelled West Virginia from a narrow lead of 8-4 to a commanding 19-6 advantage in less than two minutes.
Small further energized the team with a dunk just before halftime, increasing the Mountaineers’ lead to 27-7, marking the first time they led by more than 20 points in the matchup. At halftime, West Virginia held a decisive 46-19 lead. After this recent setback, Oklahoma State will look to rebound as they prepare to face Kansas State on Monday, while West Virginia is set to host Arizona on the same day.
Overall, the Mountaineers showcased their strength both offensively and defensively, positioning themselves as a formidable team in the Big 12 conference early in the season.
