LAWRENCE, Kan. — Javon Small hit the go-ahead free throw with 1.8 seconds remaining, and short-handed West Virginia held on after blowing an 18-point second-half lead to beat seventh-ranked Kansas, 62-61, in an intense Big 12 opener for both teams Tuesday.
Eduardo Andre had 15 points and Small finished with 13 for the Mountaineers (10-2, 1-0), who built a 38-20 lead despite missing two of their three leading scorers to injuries, only to watch Kansas (9-3, 0-1) use a 15-2 run to get back in the game.
Zeke Mayo, who led the Jayhawks with 27 points, converted a three-point play to tie the game 61-61 with 16 seconds left. Small was fouled by Kansas freshman Flory Bidunga at the other end and made the second of two free throws, and KJ Adams missed a contested shot as time expired that would have sent the game to overtime.
It was the first conference-opening loss for Kansas since Jan. 8, 1991, and the first win for the Mountaineers in 12 tries in Allen Fieldhouse. They had lost six of their last seven games to the Jayhawks.
West Virginia played its fourth game without star forward Tucker DeVries and also was missing big man Amani Hansberry to an ankle injury. But the Mountaineers committed just six turnovers while never getting rattled by the noise in the Phog.
Kansas missed 15 of its first 19 shots, digging a hole that it spend the entire game trying to escape. Mayo gave the Jayhawks a chance, going 13 for 13 at the foul line, including several of them in the closing minutes.
Small struggled from the field, going 0 for 6 from the 3-point arc. But he also had 11 rebounds and six assists, and he made the free throw that mattered with 1.8 seconds to go.
Kansas went 19 of 21 from the foul line. West Virginia only attempted six free throws, making four — including the winner.
