Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
LAS VEGAS – Honor Huff delivered a career night as West Virginia rallied to beat Oklahoma 89-82 in overtime to win the College Basketball Crown Championship on Sunday at T-Mobile Arena.
Huff scored a career-high 38 points and made 8-of-15 from beyond the arc for the Mountaineers. Chance Moore finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Brenen Lorient added 15 points and eight rebounds.
Trailing by as many as 13 points, WVU slowly chipped away at the lead. Every time the Mountaineers got within striking distance, the Sooners would push the score back ahead.
With 3:47 left in the second half, Huff hit a 3-pointer, breaking Frank Young’s single-season 3-point record, to pull WVU within four, 71-67.
Huff made a pair of free throws and Brenen Lorient tied the game at 71-71. Nijel Pack responded with a shot from downtown to put Oklahoma back in front. However, Huff responded with a pull-up 3 to tie the game.
The two teams exchanged baskets down the stretch and went to the extra session, where the dogfight continued.
In overtime, the Mountaineers fell behind 82-76 with 3:19 remaining before Jasper Floyd and Huff hit back-to-back 3s to tie the game 82-82.
With 1:23 left, Floyd gave WVU its first lead with another triple and from there the Mountaineers closed it out.
Pack led the Sooners with 24 points. Tae Davis had 19 points and Xzayvier Brown added 13.
WVU came out strong and started the game on an 8-0 run. Back-to-back 3s from Huff pushed the lead 14-5 with 15:27 to play. Minutes later the senior guard drained consecutive treys again to give the Mountaineers a 23-11 advantage.
Oklahoma responded with a 21-2 run capped by Brown’s layup to push the Sooners ahead 36-30.
Oklahoma led 41-37 at the half and after the break continued their hot shooting and Pack’s 3-pointer pushed the Sooners’ lead to 52-42 with 16:29 to play.
Oklahoma outscored WVU 42-26 in the paint.
The Mountaineers shot 46.7 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from beyond the arc while the Sooners shot 53.3 percent from the floor and 40 percent from long range.
Huff was named the Crown MVP and Ross Hodge led WVU to its first 20-plus win season in six years and its first postseason championship since 2007.
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
