West Virginia flirted with disaster Tuesday night, but ultimately walked away with a win that could prove critical down the stretch. The Mountaineers nearly let a 10-point second-half lead slip away at home against a Kansas State team that entered the game with a middling resume. But after falling behind 49-45 late, WVU rallied with a flurry of clutch plays to escape with a 70-66 victory - the kind of gritty, gut-check win that doesn’t show up pretty in the box score but matters in the standings.
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t a masterpiece. There were long stretches of offensive stagnation, defensive lapses, and some head-scratching turnovers.
But in the Big 12, where even the bottom of the standings can punch you in the mouth, wins are wins. And for a team sitting at 14-7 overall and 5-3 in conference play, stacking those wins is the name of the game.
The Mountaineers’ offense continues to be a bit of a mystery - not always consistent, occasionally frustrating, but undeniably capable of catching fire when it matters most. Tuesday night was another example.
After scoring just 17 points in the first 16:43 of the second half, West Virginia erupted for 14 points in the final 3:17. That late surge flipped what looked like a potential bad loss into a crucial conference victory.
Treysen Eaglestaff and Honor Huff were the catalysts when it mattered most. They hit massive shots down the stretch, the kind that shift momentum and silence doubt.
Huff, in particular, was the spark plug. He drilled four threes in the first half, injecting life into a team that desperately needed a jolt.
He missed four more, sure, but it was his confidence and aggression that helped resuscitate the Mountaineers’ offense when it flatlined.
Huff’s role continues to evolve, and it’s becoming clear that he’s at his best with the ball in his hands. That wasn’t necessarily the plan from the jump, but circumstances forced the issue.
Amir Jenkins picked up two quick fouls just 4:26 into the game and sat the rest of the half. That opened the door for Huff to take over as the primary ballhandler, and he didn’t waste the opportunity.
There was a stretch in the first half where Huff and Jasper Floyd shared the backcourt, but when Floyd took a breather with WVU trailing by two, Huff took command. In the next 2:57, the Mountaineers went on a 10-3 run.
Huff had two threes and two assists in that span - a one-man offensive engine who drew the defense in and made the right reads. His movement forced Kansas State to react, and his energy seemed to ripple through the rest of the roster.
When Floyd returned, he picked up right where Huff left off. He assisted on two more Huff threes and set up an Eaglestaff layup during a 10-0 run that flipped the game. It wasn’t just about one player going off - it was about a backcourt tandem finding rhythm, feeding off each other, and dictating the game when it mattered most.
Make no mistake, this wasn’t a perfect performance. There are still valid concerns about the Mountaineers’ consistency, especially on the offensive end. Kansas State came in ranked 15th in the Big 12 in points allowed and 13th in field goal percentage defense - not exactly a defensive juggernaut - and yet WVU struggled to find a groove for much of the night.
But when the game was on the line, West Virginia found answers. And in a conference as deep and unforgiving as the Big 12, that’s what separates contenders from pretenders. This was a game the Mountaineers couldn’t afford to lose - and thanks to some late-game heroics, they didn’t.
So yes, this one could’ve hurt. But instead, it might just be the kind of win that galvanizes a team for what’s ahead.