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.

West Virginia coach Darian DeVries walked into the interview room at Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday wearing a shirt that read “No Excuses,” even though he would have had plenty of them had seventh-ranked Kansas completed a frantic second-half rally.

KU beat Brown on Dec. 22, while West Virginia defeated Mercyhurst. The game will mark the start of Big 12 conference play for both sides, as a former 2022 KU national champion returns to Allen Fieldhouse. Below is a scouting report and prediction of the game.

West Virginia coach Darian DeVries walked into the interview room at Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday wearing a shirt that read “No Excuses," even though he would

The game was decided when Javon Small made the second of two free throws with 1.8 seconds left, and the Jayhawks' KJ Adams missed a contested shot at the other end at the buzzer, allowing West Virginia to escape with the 62-61 victory.