On this handout supplied by Bahamas Visible Providers, West Virginia's Tucker DeVries reacts throughout an NCAA faculty basketball sport in opposition to Gonzaga on the Battle Four Atlantis match in Paradise Island, Bahamas, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (Tim Aylen/Bahamas Visible Providers by way of AP)
MORGANTOWN — It went from nearly heaven to easily paradise, West Virginia.
That was the sensation from the WVU males's basketball workforce inside Imperial Enviornment within the Bahamas on Wednesday because the Mountaineers pulled off the most important upset of the early faculty season with an 86-78 victory in opposition to then-No. Three Gonzaga.
“Our entire purpose since everyone obtained right here in June is we have now a bunch of recent guys and just one man on final yr's roster. We should develop collectively” WVU head coach Darian DeVries mentioned. “That was a part of it. It was a step up and we look ahead to seeing what this workforce can do.”
After erasing a five-point deficit within the last 25 seconds of regulation after which outscoring the high-scoring Bulldogs in extra time, there could also be a number of extra in line now ready to see what this group can do.
“I assumed right this moment was one other nice step in the best route” mentioned WVU guard Tucker DeVries, the hero late in regulation with a Three-pointer after which two free throws with 5.9 seconds left to tie the sport. “We knew we had rather a lot to enhance on from that Pitt sport. We actually dug in and improved what we would have liked to enhance. That was to help one another extra offensively and defensively.”
Subsequent up for WVU is a sport in opposition to Louisville right this moment at midday. The Cardinals (Four-1) additionally pulled off a serious upset with an 89-61 win over then-No. 14 Indiana.
There have been so many moments that gave the Mountaineers (Four-1) this victory, beginning with the play of Javon Small, who completed with 31 factors and 7 rebounds.
“I’ll say, it was fairly good.” Darian DeVries mentioned.
Or possibly it was the defensive play of WVU's Sencire Harris and the work he did on Gonzaga guard Ryan Nembhard, who completed with 12 assists however was simply 1-of-10 capturing and was held to solely seven factors.
“They took Ryan all sport” mentioned Gonzaga ahead Braden Huff, who led the Bulldogs with 19 factors. “We’ve got to have the ability to spring into motion when he's taken. We had some good units, however (WVU) is a high-pressure workforce they usually took us out of our stuff.”
Or possibly it was the way in which the Mountaineers took a sport that regarded like an AAU monitor meet within the first half — Gonzaga (5-1) led 39-31 at halftime — and easily turned it into an actual basketball sport within the second half.
“Our entire sport plan was to not make it a transition sport,” DeVries mentioned. “As a lot as we prefer to run, this was a sport the place we thought they have been higher than us and we needed to give you a special technique.”
All of that performed a task in WVU dropping its result in the Bulldogs after which by no means going away.
Even then, the Mountaineers trailed 71-66 with 25.6 seconds left in regulation when Tucker DeVries performed his largest position.
He hit a Three-pointer with 18.9 seconds left and WVU elected to steal moderately than foul.
Close to midcourt, DeVries picked the pocket of Nolan Hickman and ran for a layup earlier than being fouled. He made each free throws to ship the sport into extra time.
“For attacking possession, I had an honest look and I used to be in a position to do it” he mentioned. “The blokes in entrance of the press did an incredible job and type of sped them up. They have been in a rush to get previous the midway line and have been a little bit unfastened. It occurred that I stole and made a play.”
Additional time belonged nearly solely to the Mountaineers, who took the lead for good on Toby Okani's two free throws that gave WVU a 75-73 lead with 2:59 left.
WVU went Three-of-5 from the ground and 9-of-10 from the foul line to get the most important win of Darian DeVries' youth profession at WVU.
“We weren't very related defensively and had hassle scoring” Nembhard mentioned. “They have been the higher workforce in extra time and all through the sport.”
Together with Small's particular person efficiency, WVU obtained a profession evening from ahead Amani Hansberry, who completed with 19 factors and eight rebounds as WVU rebounded with a 42-36 rebounding benefit.
Tucker DeVries added 16 factors and Okani completed with 10.