In Salt Lake City, West Virginia emerged victorious against Utah with a close 71-69 win, thanks to Javon Small’s crucial 18-point contribution. The game held particular significance as West Virginia faced its former coach Josh Eilert, now with Utah, on Tuesday night. Small played a pivotal role in the final moments, sinking a decisive 3-pointer followed by an alley-oop dunk by Eduardo Andre that fueled a 14-6 rally. This surge secured West Virginia a 70-64 lead with merely 12 seconds on the clock.
Despite the late effort, Utah’s Gabe Madsen managed a 3-pointer, followed by a strategic turnover and layup by Jake Wahlin, narrowing West Virginia’s lead to a single point, 70-69, with just about a second remaining. Sencire Harris contributed to sealing the game by splitting free throws, and ultimately, Joseph Yesufu blocked Madsen’s final 3-point attempt, ensuring victory for West Virginia.
Amani Hansberry and Joseph Yesufu, each also played significant roles, adding 12 points for West Virginia, which holds a 17-12 record overall and an 8-10 standing in the Big 12. Jonathan Powell added 10 points to the team’s efforts. On the opposing side, Gabe Madsen stood out, leading Utah with an impressive 23 points, as the Utes’ six-game home winning streak came to a halt, bringing their record to 16-13, also 8-10 in the conference.
The game’s momentum swung in various directions with West Virginia closing the first half on a strong note, ending with a 30-29 lead due to a 10-5 push. Small had nine points in the first half for West Virginia, while Madsen led Utah with 13 points. Utah initially held its largest lead of the game at 44-36, but West Virginia rallied late with Small kick-starting their comeback with less than four minutes remaining.
Josh Eilert, now serving as Utah’s interim head coach, had a long tenure at West Virginia, spanning 17 years from 2007-2024 in various roles. Notably, he was the interim head coach during the 2023-24 season, inheriting the position after Bob Huggins’ resignation following a DUI incident. West Virginia ended that season with a 9-23 record under his guidance.
Looking ahead, West Virginia is set to host UCF on Saturday, while Utah will conclude its regular season with a game at No. 23 BYU.
