As the calendar continues to creep towards March, the games in February carry all the more meaning.
That was the case on Tuesday night at the WVU Coliseum as West Virginia hosted BYU. Both teams entered the game with the same record in Big 12 play and both teams needed another win as they were within two spots of each other in the NET Rankings entering the day.
It was back-and-forth all night long, with the intensity of an NCAA Tournament game, featuring five ties and 11 lead changes, but BYU prevailed in the end, earning a 73-69 win over the Mountaineers.
With 2:39 to play, it seemed to present the most important three-minute stretch of the season for West Virginia. Trailing 68-67, the Mountaineers had the ball after they had just forced a shot clock violation.
Toby Okani, who had come up time and time again on the offensive end, scored a layup off an offensive rebound to give WVU a one-point lead. It would then be Okani who fouled Egor Demin off a steal. Demin went to the free throw line with 58.0 seconds to play where he made two free throws to give BYU the 70-69 lead.
Joe Yesufu would have an open look on the offensive end for WVU, but his 3-pointer rattled out. BYU secured the rebound before calling a timeout with 18.8 seconds to play and 11 seconds on the shot clock.
As the shot clock counted down, BYU's Mihailo Boskovic made an and-one with 9.3 seconds to play giving BYU a 73-69 lead and the Cougars would hold on for the win.
From the opening tip, it was a back-and-forth affair between the Cougars and Mountaineers. Within the first nine minutes of the game, the score changed five times, as an 8-0 run from BYU, put them in front 15-14 with 11:47 to play in the first half.
Toby Okani would do most of the damage early for WVU, scoring nine of WVU’s first 14 points, including a 6-0 run by himself.
WVU answered back BYU’s run with two buckets in a row, but they would not lead by more than four for the remainder of the first half. The eighth and final lead change of the first half came as things approached halftime and Jonathan Powell hit a 3-pointer from the right corner, to give the Mountaineers a 34-32 lead heading into the locker room.
It was a flurry of points between both teams to start the second half, as both teams started the second half 4-for-5 from the field.
Out of West Virginia’s first four made shots in the second half, three came from beyond the arc, as they lead 45-39. The Mountaineer lead would not exceed six though, as both teams seemingly traded baskets for the first 10 minutes of the second half.
The small bit of separation would come as the Mountaineers went on a 6-0 run, with Amani Hansberry scoring four of those points on a layup, followed by a jumper, as BYU called a timeout with 6:25 to play and the Mountaineers in front 62-56.
Just like they had done all night long, BYU answered right back. The Cougars scored a layup which they turned into a three-point play. WVU then turned it over in the backcourt leading to a free throw from the Cougars, before an offensive foul on Javon Small led to an open three for the Cougars as they took a 63-62 lead and forced a Mountaineer timeout.
Out of the timeout, the Mountaineers missed and BYU responded with a layup, as their run extended to 9-0 and they took their largest lead of the game at 65-62. Joe Yesufu would end the drought with an and-one, before the Cougars' prayers were answered as Egor Demin hit a deep 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to give BYU a 68-65 lead.
The Mountaineers continued their response as it was Okani who turned an offensive rebound into a layup, before WVU tied up Demin on the other end to force a shot clock violation as the game headed to the under-four timeout with 2:39 remaining.
WVU did not score in the final 2:13 of the game, and made only three shots in the final 6:33 of the game.
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