MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Freshman Jonathan Powell scored a season-high 17 points, Joseph Yesufu added 14 points and short-handed West Virginia beat North Carolina Central, 79-45, on Tuesday night.
Before the game, West Virginia announced Tucker DeVries would be sidelined indefinitely with an upper body injury. DeVries started in the previous eight games this season for the Mountaineers, averaging 14.9 points and 4.9 rebounds.
West Virginia still found a way to make 15 3-pointers without DeVries, who came into the game with a team-high 26 makes from distance. Powell and Yesufu each made four 3-pointers, and reserve Jake Auer went 3 of 4.
Yesufu scored all nine of his first-half points in the final four minutes. He started a 13-3 run with back-to-back 3-pointers, and he capped it with another make from distance for a 36-18 halftime lead.
Javon Small capped a 9-0 run to put West Virginia ahead 47-21 early in the second half.
Small had 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting for West Virginia (7-2). Amani Hansberry grabbed 12 rebounds to go with seven points.
Isaac Parson scored 16 points for NCCU (4-8). Po’Boigh King, averaging a team-best 17.4 points, missed all seven of his field-goal attempts and made 5 of 9 from the free-throw line.
West Virginia’s 16-day, four-game homestand continues Saturday against Bethune-Cookman.
