MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Javon Small delivered an impressive performance, scoring 23 points and providing 10 assists to propel West Virginia to a decisive 73-55 win over TCU on Tuesday night.
Boosting their season to 17-11 overall and 8-9 in Big 12 play, West Virginia rebounded strongly after suffering a 73-51 setback against then-ranked No. 9 Texas Tech last Saturday. The victory also served as payback for a previous 65-60 loss at TCU on February 5.
Leading the charge, Small was efficient from beyond the arc, hitting 6 of his 11 attempts, and nailed 8 of 16 shots overall. Joseph Yesufu contributed 14 points, while Sencire Harris added 13 to the Mountaineers’ impressive offensive display.
Trazarien White was TCU’s standout player, scoring 11 points, and was the team’s lone scorer to reach double figures. TCU now holds a 15-13 record, with a matching conference record of 8-9.
In the first half, Small’s three 3-pointers and 11 total points, coupled with five assists, were instrumental in West Virginia’s commanding 42-27 halftime lead, benefiting from shooting an impressive 57% (17 of 29) from the field. Harris also chipped in with a notable 11 points during the opening half for the Mountaineers.
West Virginia continued to assert their dominance as the second half commenced, initiating a 15-10 run to stretch their advantage to 57-37 with just under 13 minutes on the clock. Despite a push from TCU that reduced the gap to 62-53 with over five minutes remaining, West Virginia held firm.
Looking ahead, TCU is set to host UCF on Saturday, while West Virginia is preparing for a challenging match against No. 25 BYU.
