 "Photo: Leann Arthur/DA")
The West Virginia men's basketball team couldn't hold off a Syracuse second-half rally and failed to string together a strong enough one in the game's final minute to fall to the No. 5 Orange, 72-71 Saturday at the WVU Coliseum.
After taking a one-point lead into halftime, SU battled back from a six-point deficit early in the second half to clinch its fourth straight win and 17th of the season.
West Virginia trailed by as many as 10 with 2:42 left but three 3-pointers and went 3-for-3 in the final minute to cut the lead to one. Da'Sean Butler's shot from three-fourths court at the buzzer fell short.
West Virginia took its first lead since 3:21 into the game just 1:09 into the second half when sophomore Devin Ebanks' jumper put WVU up 27-26.
SU regained the lead twice before Kevin Jones hit a 3-pointer from the left corner before freshman guard Dalton Pepper knocked down a 3-pointer from a 34-30 WVU advantage.
Pepper added another shot from beyond the arc three minutes later for a six-point Mountaineer lead but SU's Andy Rautins answered with a 3-pointer of his own on the ensuing possession.
Rautins carried the Orange down the stretch, scoring nine points in just 18 minutes of play in the second half before fouling out while it was Pepper who kept the Mountaineers in the game.
Pepper finished with a career-high 15 points, 12 of which coming in the second half, on 5-of-8 shooting.
Rautins' 3-pointer that began the Syracuse rally was the start of seven straight points for the guard while Brandon Triche added a steal and basket to bring the Orange with two, 42-41 with 11:58 left.
An Arizne Onuaku putback one possession later gave SU the lead with 11:47 left.
West Virginia got within one, 48-47, thanks to a Bryant free-throw with 6:43 remaining.
WVU would get no closer until Bryant's 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds left brought the Mountaineers with one, 72-71, before time ran out on West Virginia's comeback attempt.
Pepper's 15-point performance trailed on Bryant's team-high 18-point game while Butler (13 points) and Kevin Jones (11 points) also reached double figures.
Jones, Ebanks and Butler all ended with six rebounds each.
Syracuse also ended with four scorers in double-figures including a team-high 16 points from Triche on 6-of-8 shooting.
The Orange outrebounded West Virginia 35-29.
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