SALT LAKE CITY – Senior Night at Utah ended in heartbreak as the Utes narrowly lost to West Virginia, 71-69, in a down-to-the-wire finish on Tuesday night.
Javon Small led the way for the Mountaineers with 18 points, including a crucial three-pointer and an alley-oop assist to Eduardo Andre during a decisive 14-6 run that put West Virginia ahead 70-64 with just 12 seconds remaining.
Utah nearly pulled off a last-second miracle. Gabe Madsen drained a deep three-pointer, and Jake Wahlin forced a turnover before converting a layup to bring the Utes within a point at 70-69 with only seconds left.
“You always want to finish with a win,” said Madsen, a senior who scored a game-high 23 points. “I’m going to miss this place—it’s been a great experience. It would’ve been fun to close it out with a win, but that’s just how it goes sometimes.”
Sencire Harris hit one of two free throws for West Virginia, and Joseph Yesufu sealed the game by blocking Madsen’s final three-point attempt as time expired.
West Virginia (17-12, 8-10 Big 12) also got key contributions from Amani Hansberry and Yesufu, who scored 12 points each, while Jonathan Powell added 10.
Madsen was Utah’s top scorer with 23 points, but the Utes (16-13, 8-10) saw their six-game home winning streak snapped in the tough loss.
The first half was a tight battle, with West Virginia closing on a 10-5 run to take a slim 30-29 lead into the break. Madsen led Utah with 13 first-half points, while Small paced the Mountaineers with nine.
Utah built its largest lead of the night at 44-36 with 14 minutes to go, but West Virginia stormed back. Small’s three-pointer ignited a late-game push with 3:42 remaining, shifting momentum back to the visitors.
Interim head coach Josh Eilert, who took over the Utah program last month, faced an emotional moment coaching against the team where he spent 17 years.
“I looked my guys in the eye, and it was tough for those seniors,” Eilert said. “I wanted it so badly for them. But in the end, West Virginia made more plays down the stretch.”
Eilert previously served in multiple roles at West Virginia from 2007 to 2024, including as the Mountaineers’ interim head coach last season following Bob Huggins’ resignation.
Utah will close out the regular season with a road matchup against No. 23 BYU .
