Tuesday, January 6
Morgantown, W.Va.
7 p.m.
West Virginia University
10-5,1-1Big 12
62
vs
60
Cincinnati
8-7,0-2Big 12
1
2
F
Cincinnati
28
32
60
West Virginia
31
31
62
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Mountaineers Rally to Collect First Big 12 Win For Ross Hodge
January 06, 2026 09:56 PM | Men's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia rallied from five points down with 4:46 left to defeat Cincinnati 62-60 at Hope Coliseum Tuesday night in Big 12 Conference men's basketball action.
The Bearcats (8-7, 0-2) took a 57-52 lead on Moustapha Thiam's dunk, capping an 11-0 Cincinnati run that had flipped West Virginia's 52-49 lead.
But Honor Huff answered with a 3 with 2:13 remaining, and then Treyson Eaglestaff hit the biggest 3 of the game with 1:12 to go and the shot clock winding down. The senior put up a prayer that was answered from in front of West Virginia's bench to give the Mountaineers a 58-57 lead.
After a 30-second timeout called by the Bearcats, Cincinnati big Baba Miller took an ill-advised 3 that was rebounded by Huff.
WVU used a timeout and then ran the clock down to 19 seconds remaining before Jizzle James finally fouled Huff, who made both free throws to put West Virginia up three, 60-57.
At the other end, Day Day Thomas' missed 3 was rebounded by Eaglestaff, who was fouled by Jean Celestine before he could pass the ball down the floor to an open teammate for a game-clinching dunk.
Eaglestaff hit both free throws to give WVU a two-possession lead, 62-57.
The Mountaineers were able to burn precious time off the clock on the defensive end of the floor by using their fouls before James got a 3 to go down with three seconds left. After the first baseline inbounds pass was nearly stolen, requiring Hodge to use another timeout, the next inbounds pass by Jasper Floyd was picked off by James, who had a clean look at a game-winning 3, but his shot caromed off the glass to end the game.
"I can't say it was a thing of beauty," Ross Hodge said of his first Big 12 victory as West Virginia's coach. "But the one thing I will say, when they made that run and we were in the huddle, there was a look there that thought we could still win the game.
"That's what you are kind of looking for in those moments," he said. "Obviously we've been in these situations a couple of times already this season when you lead and lead and lead and at the end you just can't figure out a way to make the play that you need to."
West Virginia (10-5, 1-1) began the game leading 19-6 before Cincinnati got back into it by retrieving its missed shots. The Bearcats finished the game with 10 offensive rebounds, which helped offset their 40 missed field goals on 62 attempts, as did their 18 points off of West Virginia's 15 turnovers.
Honor Huff, the smallest player on the floor, scored a game-high 24 points and also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds, including a couple of key ones late.
Huff was 6 of 10 from 3-point distance and also hit two critical free throws with 19 seconds left.
"He really got us off to a great start and he spoils you to the point where when he misses one you are like, 'Dang, what are you doing? You are supposed to make everything you shoot,'" Hodge said. "I think the coolest moment for him was getting eight rebounds from the littlest guy on the floor."
Chance Moore came off the bench to score 14 and Eaglestaff contributed 10.
Celestine was the only Bearcat player to reach double figures with 15.
"We were able to get stops down the stretch to build that lead, and then we were able to get stops when it mattered most," Hodge said. "I think it was a character win and it speaks to who where are as people."
WVU was 11 of 23 from 3-point range, compared to 12 of 35 for Cincinnati, while both teams struggled from the free throw line. The Bearcats missed five of their nine attempts while the Mountaineers were unsuccessful on six of their 13 charities.
West Virginia remains in Morgantown to face 22nd-ranked Kansas on Saturday afternoon at noon. The game will be televised nationally on FOX.
The Bearcats (8-7, 0-2) took a 57-52 lead on Moustapha Thiam's dunk, capping an 11-0 Cincinnati run that had flipped West Virginia's 52-49 lead.
But Honor Huff answered with a 3 with 2:13 remaining, and then Treyson Eaglestaff hit the biggest 3 of the game with 1:12 to go and the shot clock winding down. The senior put up a prayer that was answered from in front of West Virginia's bench to give the Mountaineers a 58-57 lead.
After a 30-second timeout called by the Bearcats, Cincinnati big Baba Miller took an ill-advised 3 that was rebounded by Huff.
WVU used a timeout and then ran the clock down to 19 seconds remaining before Jizzle James finally fouled Huff, who made both free throws to put West Virginia up three, 60-57.
At the other end, Day Day Thomas' missed 3 was rebounded by Eaglestaff, who was fouled by Jean Celestine before he could pass the ball down the floor to an open teammate for a game-clinching dunk.
Eaglestaff hit both free throws to give WVU a two-possession lead, 62-57.
The Mountaineers were able to burn precious time off the clock on the defensive end of the floor by using their fouls before James got a 3 to go down with three seconds left. After the first baseline inbounds pass was nearly stolen, requiring Hodge to use another timeout, the next inbounds pass by Jasper Floyd was picked off by James, who had a clean look at a game-winning 3, but his shot caromed off the glass to end the game.
"I can't say it was a thing of beauty," Ross Hodge said of his first Big 12 victory as West Virginia's coach. "But the one thing I will say, when they made that run and we were in the huddle, there was a look there that thought we could still win the game.
"That's what you are kind of looking for in those moments," he said. "Obviously we've been in these situations a couple of times already this season when you lead and lead and lead and at the end you just can't figure out a way to make the play that you need to."
West Virginia (10-5, 1-1) began the game leading 19-6 before Cincinnati got back into it by retrieving its missed shots. The Bearcats finished the game with 10 offensive rebounds, which helped offset their 40 missed field goals on 62 attempts, as did their 18 points off of West Virginia's 15 turnovers.
Honor Huff, the smallest player on the floor, scored a game-high 24 points and also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds, including a couple of key ones late.
Huff was 6 of 10 from 3-point distance and also hit two critical free throws with 19 seconds left.
"He really got us off to a great start and he spoils you to the point where when he misses one you are like, 'Dang, what are you doing? You are supposed to make everything you shoot,'" Hodge said. "I think the coolest moment for him was getting eight rebounds from the littlest guy on the floor."
Chance Moore came off the bench to score 14 and Eaglestaff contributed 10.
Celestine was the only Bearcat player to reach double figures with 15.
"We were able to get stops down the stretch to build that lead, and then we were able to get stops when it mattered most," Hodge said. "I think it was a character win and it speaks to who where are as people."
WVU was 11 of 23 from 3-point range, compared to 12 of 35 for Cincinnati, while both teams struggled from the free throw line. The Bearcats missed five of their nine attempts while the Mountaineers were unsuccessful on six of their 13 charities.
West Virginia remains in Morgantown to face 22nd-ranked Kansas on Saturday afternoon at noon. The game will be televised nationally on FOX.
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Team Stats
UC
WVU
FG%
.355
.458
3FG%
.343
.478
FT%
.444
.538
RB
33
37
TO
8
15
STL
7
6
Game Leaders
Pts
24
FGM
7
3FGM
6
FTM
4
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
Cincinnati Game Cinematic Recap
Thursday, January 08
TV Highlights: WVU 62, Cincinnati 60
Wednesday, January 07
Ross Hodge | Cincinnati Postgame
Tuesday, January 06
Treysen Eaglestaff & Honor Huff | Cincinnati Postgame
Tuesday, January 06
