STORRS, Conn. -- Khalid El-Amin drove the length of the court and banked in a shot at the buzzer as No. 22 Connecticut edged West Virginia 72-71 Saturday night.
After West Virginia's Calvin Bowman made two free throws to give the Mountaineers (13-12, 5-9 Big East) a 71-70 lead with 4.8 seconds remaining, El-Amin took the inbound pass and raced down the court for the game-winner.
El-Amin had 23 points to lead the Huskies (19-8, 8-6), who trailed by seven with 5:20 left.
Bowman had a career-high 29 points to lead the Mountaineers.
Connecticut took a 70-67 lead with 1:38 left on two free throws by El-Amin. West Virginia's Tim Lyles cut it to 70-69 with 1:14 left, but missed a free throw that would have tied it.
The Huskies let the clock wind down to 20 seconds when El-Amin missed a 3-pointer. Bowman then had two chances to put the Mountaineers up and was fouled with 4.8 seconds left.
UConn built a 22-17 lead midway into the first half on a three-point play by El-Amin, but the Huskies couldn't shake the Mountaineers.
Marcus Goree and Bowman sparked West Virginia's comeback, scoring 19 of the Mountaineers' next 21 to take a 38-36 lead at the half.
The Mountaineers' largest lead was 38-32 on a three-point play by Goree with 2:09 left in the half. Two free throws by the Huskies' Tony Robertson and a jump hook by Souleymane Wane just before the buzzer allowed Connecticut to leave the court trailing by only two.
Goree and Bowman combined for 27 of West Virginia's 38 points in the first half.