NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates 
[ad_1]
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia’s Javon Small stopped his dribble nearly at the 3-point line, closely guarded by Iowa State’s Curtis Jones. With the shot clock winding down early in the second half, Small moved in a circle on his pivot foot looking to pass to a teammate, then took a step toward the basket and threw up a shot that banked in.
The sellout crowd erupted, fully engulfed in an entertaining duel between the Big 12’s top two scorers.
Jones, the league’s hottest scorer of late, had a big first half and appeared headed for temporary bragging rights.
Then Small caught fire, scoring 18 points over the final 8:38 Saturday night to carry the Mountaineers to a 64-57 victory over the second-ranked Cyclones.
“He’s definitely their engine,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “We knew that coming in. He’s playing at a level that’s as high as anybody in the league, truthfully.”
Small, the league’s top scorer, finished with 27 points. Jones, who is two points behind with a 17.8-point average, scored 18, with just seven coming in the second half.
Small said he paid no attention to how he’d fare in a one-on-one matchup with Jones.
“I don’t ever go into a game thinking about” that, Small said. “The only thing I’m thinking about is just winning.”
Things weren’t looking good for Small and the Mountaineers. Iowa State led by four with under nine minutes remaining and both teams were struggling to find consistent offense.
All Small needed was a tiny crack in the defense.
Jones and Tamin Lipsey had blocked Small’s path to the basket at the top of the key. Small then dribbled and spun in a full circle between the defenders and hit a floater as the shot clock expired. That was part of his game-ending burst that also included a 3-pointer, a dunk, two layups and seven free throws.
Now Small, who leads the Big 12 in minutes played, has joined Jones in the conversation as candidates for the league’s player of the year.
West Virginia coach Darian…
[ad_2]Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/wvus-small-iowa-states-jones-224559209.html
Author : Associated Press
Publish date : 2025-01-19 22:45:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
