Walker, Dyson lead UConn to upset over No. 8 West Virginia, 73-62

Connecticut beats No. 8 West Virginia 73-62

HARTFORD, Conn. — Kemba Walker scored 21 points and Jerome Dyson added 17 as Connecticut beat No. 8 West Virginia 73-62 on Monday night, the Huskies’ third win this season over a top 10 team.

Stanley Robinson had 15 points and 13 rebounds for UConn (17-11, 7-8 Big East), which has won three straight to keep its NCAA tournament hopes alive.

The Huskies are 3-1 since coach Jim Calhoun returned from a medical leave of absence. Connecticut was 3-4 during the 23 days he was gone.

Devin Ebanks had 17 points and nine rebounds to lead West Virginia (21-6, 10-5). The Mountaineers finished the game without head coach Bob Huggins, who received two technical fouls in the final minute.

Calhoun called the game a street fight, and the teams combined for 46 personal fouls. UConn hit 30 of 42 free throws and Walker was 14 of 17 from the line.

West Virginia was 12 of 23 from the free throw line and hit just four of 18 shots from 3-point range.

UConn led by as many as 15 points in the first half, and by nine at halftime after outrebounding the Mountaineers 21-11.

But the Mountaineers whittled away at the lead in the second half, and when Ebanks followed up a missed shot with 8:44 left they were down 53-52. But they were never able to take the lead.

It was 66-62 with just over a minute left when Calhoun called a timeout.

Stanley Robinson then followed up a missed layup by Dyson with a dunk, and Walker’s steal and dunk made it 70-62.

An irate Huggins received two technical fouls after calling a timeout, and Walker hit three of four free throws to ice the game.

West Virginia committed 26 fouls and UConn was called for 20.

UConn lost 6-foot-11 Ater Majok to fouls with 5 minutes left and 6-10 Gavin Edwards fouled out less than a minute later with UConn up 63-56.

Wellington Smith fouled out for the Mountaineers with 2:55 left.

West Virginia quickly scored the game’s first five points, prompting Calhoun to call a timeout less than a minute into the game. Calhoun then said something to official Michael Stephens that led to a technical foul.

But Wellington Smith missed both free throws, and the Huskies responded by going on a 14-1 run. UConn scored 13 straight points midway through the half, and a short bank shot by Robinson gave the Huskies a 28-13 lead.

West Virginia responded with a 10-1 run, but trailed 37-28 at halftime.

UConn improved an NCAA tournament resume that also includes victories over then-no. 1 Texas last month and at No. 3 Villanova last week.

Connecticut is 15-4 all-time against West Virginia, including 8-0 at home.