Javon Small scores 26 points, West Virginia holds off Colorado

BOULDER, Colo. — Javon Small scored 26 points, and Joseph Yesufu added 18 as No. 21 West Virginia held off Colorado, 78-70, on Sunday in the teams’ first meeting as members of the Big 12.

The Mountaineers (12-3, 3-1 Big 12) overcame foul trouble and used a late 13-4 run to thwart Colorado, which had cut the deficit to two points with 5 minutes, 28 seconds left. Yesufu had eight points in that spurt.

Julian Hammond III had 23 points, and Assane Diop added 13 for Colorado (9-6, 0-4), which lost its fourth straight game.

Colorado trailed by three, and West Virginia had just lost two starters to fouls when the Mountaineers beat the press and started a fast break that ended on Yesufu’s layup and free throw for a 71-65 lead with 1:23 left.

Three straight 3-pointers by Small, the Big 12’s leading scorer and reigning player of the week, gave West Virginia its biggest lead, 49-35, with 17:28 remaining.

The Buffaloes, who entered the game with the worst turnover margin in the Big 12, had 14 turnovers in the game.

Colorado is now 2-2 against ranked teams this season. West Virginia rebounded from its unexpected home loss to Arizona that snapped a seven-game winning streak.

Both teams play Wednesday. Colorado hosts Cincinnati, and West Virginia is at Houston.