The fourth-ranked Texas Longhorns escaped No. 14 West Virginia 72-70 thanks to a clutch 3-pointer from Andrew Jones with 1.1 seconds remaining on Saturday. Jones' game-winning triple capped off a 7-0 Texas run over the final 1:28.
It was the Longhorns' first lead of the second half. They trailed by as many as nine points, but were able to chip away down the stretch as West Virginia's offense struggled.
The Mountaineers shot 29.4 percent (10-for-34) from the floor in the second half, while Texas posted an efficient 52.2 percent on 12-for-23 shooting.
Jones finished with 16 points, three rebounds and one assist. He was one of five Longhorns that scored in double figures.
In January of 2018, @DrewdotCash was diagnosed with leukemia.
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) January 9, 2021
January 2021, he hit a game-winner vs. No. 14 West Virginia.
What a story 🙌pic.twitter.com/dhsdtAk9HU
According to ESPN, Saturday was the three-year anniversary of Jones' leukemia diagnosis.
"I use it as my motivation," Jones told NCAA.com's Andy Katz after the game. "As a reason to why I wake up everyday, why I want to come out here and play this game. Without God, and without me being able to fight through that, I wouldn't be here where I am today."
"I'm just appreciative of every opportunity I'm able to get. I'll continue to work hard, just so I can become the guy that I want to be."
Texas, ranked fourth in the AP poll and 10th in the latest NET rankings, is now 9-1 this season. Its 3-0 conference record now includes road wins over then-No. 3 Kansas and No. 14 West Virginia.
Brackets: Andy Katz's first 2021 March Madness projections
