Javon Small Hits Go-ahead Ft With 1.8 Seconds Left, Sending West Virginia To 62-61 Win Over No. 7 Ku

Javon Small hit the go-ahead free throw with 1.8 seconds remaining, and short-handed West Virginia held on after blowing an 18-point second-half lead to beat seventh-ranked Kansas 62-61 in an intense Big 12 opener for both teams Tuesday.

Eduardo Andre had 15 points and Small finished with 13 for the Mountaineers 10-2, 1-0, who built a 38-20 lead despite missing two of their three leading scorers to injuries, only to watch Kansas 9-3, 0-1 use a 15-2 run to get back in the game.

Zeke Mayo, who led the Jayhawks with 27 points, converted a three-point play to tie the game 61-all with 16 seconds left. Small was fouled by Kansas freshman Flory Bidunga at the other end and made the second of two free throws, and KJ Adams missed a contested shot as time expired that would have sent the game to overtime.

It was the first conference-opening loss for Kansas since Jan. 8, 1991, and the first win for the Mountaineers in 12 tries in Allen Fieldhouse. They had lost six of their last seven games to the Jayhawks.

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