Tucker DeVries scored a team-high 17 points and Amani Hansberry finished with 16 to help West Virginia defeat UMass 75-69 on Friday night in Morgantown, W. Va.
DeVries made three 3-pointers and was 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. He also led his team in scoring Monday, when West Virginia (2-0) opened its season with an 87-59 victory against Robert Morris. Hansberry scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half.
UMass, which trailed by 18 points early in the second half, trimmed its deficit to 68-61 with 1:12 to play, but DeVries made two free throws with 49 seconds left to push West Virginia’s lead to 70-61.
Javon Small had 12 points and Jonathan Powell added 10 points for the Mountaineers, who made 25 of their 29 free-throw attempts.
Rahsool Diggins led UMass (1-1) with 19 points. Daniel Rivera (14), Daniel Hankins-Sanford (13) and Jaylen Curry (13) also scored in double figures for the Minutemen. Diggins also scored a game-high 26 points Monday when UMass began its season with a 103-74 win over New Hampshire.
The Mountaineers led 25-10 after Hansberry’s jumper capped an 8-0 run with 10:23 left in the first half. Curry connected on a 3-pointer to bring UMass within six, 32-26, but West Virginia scored the final eight points in the first half and led 45-28 at the break.
The Minutemen shot 34.6 percent from the field (9 of 26) and were 1-of-8 from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes.
UMass trimmed its deficit to 60-52 after Hankins-Sanford’s 3-pointer with 8:42 to play, but DeVries’ 3-pointer put the Mountaineers up 63-52 with seven minutes left.
It was the first time UMass played in Morgantown since 2007, when West Virginia earned a 90-77 victory in the National Invitation Tournament. The Minutemen will depart the Atlantic 10 for the Mid-American Conference after this season.
–Field Level Media
