KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Esa Ahmad sank the go-ahead free throw with 20 seconds left and No. 11 West Virginia overcame 27-percent shooting during a 51-50 comeback win against Kansas State in the Big 12 tournament semifinals.
Tarik Phillip added 13 points, all in the second half, when the Mountaineers (26-7) rallied from 12 down to earn a championship showdown against Iowa State on Saturday.
“We’re a resilient team,” said Phillip whose 3-pointer tied the game at 50-50 with 1:45 left. Then he made an equally huge play on the opposite end, outwrestling two K-State players for a defensive rebound before calling timeout from the floor at 1:05.