MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Javon Small scored 27 to lead West Virginia to an 84-61 victory over Bethune-Cookman on Saturday night.
Small made 7 of 15 shots from the floor with two 3-pointers and all 11 of his free throws for the Mountaineers (8-2), who have won four in a row and improved to 6-0 at home. He added six rebounds and six assists and blocked two shots.
Advertisement
Aman Hansberry totaled 16 points and six rebounds for West Virginia. Jonathan Powell sank four 3-pointers and scored 14. Sencire Harris pitched in with 12 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
Brayon Freeman led the Wildcats (2-8) with 14 points on 6-for-18 shooting. Daniel Rouzan had 13 points, while Trey Thomas and Reggie Ward Jr. both scored 12. Ward added seven boards. Bethune-Cookman has lost all seven road games this season.
Small had 12 points and four assists to help West Virginia take a 41-30 lead into halftime. The Mountaineers shot 51.7% from the floor, made 6 of 13 from 3-point range and all five of their free throws in building the lead. They used an 11-0 run to turn a five-point lead into a 26-10 advantage. Rouzan had nine points for the Wildcats, who shot 33% overall with one 3-pointer and made 9 of 14 at the foul line before the intermission.
Thomas followed his 3-pointer with a layup to pull Bethune-Cookman within 45-39 with 16 minutes remaining. Jonathan Powell answered with a 3-pointer to spark a 7-0 run and the Mountaineers led by double digits from there.
West Virginia is idle until hosting Mercyhurst on Dec. 22.
Advertisement
____ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-toWp-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — A large portion of the Mountain State saw storms with gusty winds last night, which has resulted in several trees coming down across roads, thousands of power outages and schools being delayed and closed.
As of Friday morning, the WV 511 website displays multiple warnings of fallen trees and debris in roadways, including several in north-central West Virginia. Both Harrison and Marion County 911 logs show crews responding to several reports of trees down.
WV 511
The First Energy website also shows that a total of 36,688 of its customers are currently without power, with many still waiting for an estimated restoration time.
First Energy Power Outage Map
Due to these power outages, multiple schools throughout West Virginia have been delayed or closed for the day, including those in Barbour, Gilmer, Lewis, Marion, Ritchie, Taylor, and Upshur counties.
Regular trees weren’t the only ones forced down due to the winds. Christmas decorations, including the Bridgeport Christmas tree, were knocked over as well.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – A miner died Thursday after an incident at a coal mine in Wyoming County, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said.
The governor said it happened at the Lower War Eagle mine.
Morrisey released the following statement on Thursday evening:
“Denise and I were deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a coal miner today at the Lower War Eagle mine in Wyoming County. Our hearts go out to his family, loved ones, and coworkers during this sorrowful time.
Advertisement
“The West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety, and Training responded immediately and is conducting a full investigation.
“Each day, West Virginia miners perform difficult and demanding tasks. They do this to provide for their families, to build the communities, and to forge a better future for the next generation of West Virginians. It is that work, their strength, and their dedication that defines our state and our nation.
“I ask that all West Virginians lift this miner’s family, friends, and community up in your prayers and keep them in your thoughts through the difficult days ahead.”
The transfer portal officially opens here in a couple of weeks, so before the madness begins, we’re going to take a look back at last year’s West Virginia portal class, highlighting some of the biggest surprises and disappointments.
Advertisement
Biggest surprises
West Virginia University offensive lineman Donovan Haslam | Christopher Hall – West Virginia on SI
Advertisement
For this group, we’re keeping it all positive. These are players who rose above expectations and turned out to be pretty solid players.
Advertisement
OL Donovan Haslam (Austin Peay) – He’s far from a finished product, but he helped West Virginia get through some of its issues toward the end of the season when he replaced Walter Young Bear in the starting lineup. WVU will bring in competition for him, but he’s at least a capable option, just needs more development. That play he had dragging Diore Hubbard for a first down may have been a penalty, but it may have been the most determination we saw from a lineman all year.
BAN Devin Grant (Incarnate Word) – The stats may not show his impact, and sometimes that happens with a role player. His playmaking was very timely. Every time the Mountaineers desperately needed a sack, tackle for loss, or turnover, Grant delivered. He’s someone the staff would love to have for another year.
LB Ben Bogle (Southern Illinois) – Although he didn’t start, Bogle was the Mountaineers’ best run defender in the second level, and it really wasn’t close. As a matter of fact, he graded out as the best run stopper on the entire team. He’ll be in contention to start at the MIKE spot in 2026.
Biggest disappointments
Advertisement
West Virginia University Bandit Jimmori Robinson | Christopher Hall – West Virginia on SI
Before I get started here, I’m not including offensive linemen Walter Young Bear and Kimo Makane’ole, simply because they did not come to WVU with big expectations. Yes, they played poorly, but this category is for players who didn’t live up to expectations, in one way or another.
Advertisement
RB Tye Edwards (Northern Iowa) – Obviously, this isn’t a performance-based performance as Edwards injured his hip in the Backyard Brawl and was eventually lost for the season. Not having his physicality really hurt WVU’s offense and its ability to run the football. Had he been healthy, perhaps they could have won another game or two.
Advertisement
RB Jaylan Knighton (SMU) – Who? Yeah, Jaylan Knighton, the guy who never played a down for the Mountaineers. The SMU transfer was expected to be the No. 2 to Jahiem White, which would have formed a pretty strong duo, albeit behind a bad offensive line. He had some academic issues that led to his dismissal in fall camp.
BAN Jimmori Robinson (UTSA) – Without question, the biggest disappointment of all. Robinson was expected to be an elite pass rusher for WVU and an all-league caliber player. I wouldn’t throw all of the blame at his feet, though. Some of it can be attributed to the late start with the NCAA, taking forever with his eligibility, which ended up going to court. Some of it could be the fit in the defense as well. Regardless, Robinson fell well short of expectations, finishing with just 0.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss one year after recording 17 TFLs and 10.5 sacks at UTSA.
Advertisement
MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI
West Virginia Defensive Depth Chart Projection Entering Transfer Portal Season
Advertisement
WVU Signee Amari Latimer Caps High School Career by Leading Sandy Creek to State Title
How West Virginia’s Signees Performed in the JUCO National Championship Game
Four Running Backs West Virginia Should Consider Pursuing in the Transfer Portal
Five Players WVU Fans May Not Know Yet Who Could Make a Difference in 2026
