West Virginia pulled off its biggest comeback in four years Thursday night, storming back from a 14-point second-half deficit to stun Cincinnati 59-54 at Fifth Third Arena. This one had all the makings of a game you turn off at halftime-until the Mountaineers flipped the script.
Down double digits and struggling to find any rhythm offensively, West Virginia found its spark in the final 14 minutes, outscoring the Bearcats 36-17 down the stretch. That surge didn’t just earn them a gritty road win-it also completed a season sweep of Cincinnati and marked their second straight victory in the Queen City.
“I think there are going to be some people tomorrow who woke up and said, ‘They won that game? I turned it off and went to sleep,’” head coach Ross Hodge quipped on the postgame show. And honestly, who could blame them?
The first half was rough. WVU managed just 20 points, missed all nine of its 3-point attempts, and turned the ball over nine times.
But the second half? That was a different story entirely.
Honor Huff and freshman D.J. Thomas were the catalysts, combining for 26 of the Mountaineers’ 39 second-half points.
Huff poured in all 16 of his team-high points after the break, including three momentum-swinging triples. But it was Thomas who delivered the knockout blows.
With just over four minutes to play, the freshman buried a corner three to give West Virginia its first lead of the half at 49-47. Then, with 90 seconds left and the shot clock winding down, he drilled another from deep beyond the top of the key to stretch the lead to four. Thomas wasn’t done-he calmly sank two clutch free throws with 51 seconds remaining to push the lead to six and all but seal the win.
Thomas finished with 14 points on a perfect shooting night in the second half-3-for-3 from the field and 4-for-4 from the line. His efficiency stood out on a night when his teammates went just 7-for-17 from the stripe.
There were still some tense moments. Treysen Eaglestaff hit a big three to give WVU a 42-40 lead but missed both free throws shortly after, opening the door for a potential Bearcats rally. But West Virginia’s defense slammed that door shut.
Cincinnati managed just 10 scores on its 27 second-half possessions, and after Day Day Thomas hit a three to put UC up 40-28 with 14:11 left, the Bearcats made only four field goals the rest of the way. That’s lockdown defense.
Coach Hodge singled out freshman Amir Jenkins for his on-ball pressure, calling it “the best he’s played this season.” Jenkins didn’t fill up the box score, but his impact was felt-especially at the point of attack.
Lorient chipped in 11 points as the only other Mountaineer in double figures. As a team, WVU shot 43.8% from the field and found its range after the break, going 6-of-12 from deep in the second half. They also tightened up the turnovers, coughing it up just three times after halftime compared to nine in the first 20 minutes.
West Virginia scored on 17 of its 29 second-half possessions-an impressive turnaround from a sluggish start.
For Cincinnati, Jizzle James led all scorers with 18 points, while Baba Miller added 15 points and eight boards. But the Bearcats’ offensive struggles in the final stretch dropped them below .500 at 11-12 overall and 3-7 in Big 12 play.
West Virginia, now 15-8 overall and 6-4 in the conference, continues to find ways to win ugly. This was the second time this season they’ve pulled out a victory without cracking 60 points. It may not always be pretty, but it’s effective.
“They were 11-2 in this building for a reason, and I knew it was going to be hard,” Hodge said.
Now tied with UCF for sixth in the Big 12 standings, the Mountaineers turn their attention to a big-time matchup on Sunday against 13th-ranked Texas Tech. The Red Raiders, coming off a narrow 64-61 loss to Kansas, sit just a half-game ahead of WVU at 6-3 in league play.
Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET, and the game will be nationally televised on FOX. With both teams jockeying for position in a tightly packed Big 12 race, this one’s shaping up to be a must-watch.