BROOKLYN, N.Y. — West Virginia’s press looked tame, its offense turned lame and its NCAA tournament stay lasted one game.
Behind a brilliant all-around performance from Thomas Walkup, 14th-seeded Stephen F. Austin bounced the Mountaineers out of the first round 70-56.
Walkup finished with 33 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals as the Lumberjacks (28-5) won their 21st consecutive game and became the 21st No. 14 seed to shock a No. 3.
“We overlooked them and they came out and got us,” said West Virginia senior Jaysean Paige.
Nearly three months removed from their last loss, the Lumberjacks enjoyed a 29-4 edge in points off turnovers, flipping the script on “Press Virginia.” The Mountaineers tied their season-high with 22 turnovers and forced a season-low seven.
“We usually try to rattle people and deny them from making plays, and it happened to us today,” said Tarik Philip. “They did what we were supposed to do.”
Devin Williams, held without a first-half basket despite SFA’s lack of interior size, led West Virginia (26-9) with 12 points on 3-of-10 shooting, though he grabbed 17 rebounds. Esa Ahmad added 10 points, while Paige finished his career with nine points on 4-of-13 shooting.
Tarik Phillip had seven points, all at the foul line, and shot 0-of-6 with six turnovers.
Walkup, the two-time Southland Conference player of the year, made 19-of-20 free throws to fuel the Lumberjacks to their second NCAA upset in three seasons.
“I think that people realize we’re the real deal now,” Walkup said. “A couple of years ago, when we got an NCAA win, they thought it was almost a fluke. But I think now people are starting to realize that SFA is a really strong basketball program and really starting to make a name for ourselves.”
Walkup’s lay-in put SFA ahead 38-28 and capped a 7-0 run that opened the second half.
SFA closed the half on a 20-8 run over the final 11 minutes, a span in which WVU managed one basket and nine turnovers.
West Virginia encountered early foul trouble, with Paige, Holton, Phillip, Daxter Miles and Elijah Macon committing two first-half fouls and Adrian being saddled with his third after a flagrant 1 technical after an SFA basket.
The freshman Ahmad, after going 2-for-16 in his first 34 games, hit two 3s in the first 3:25. Holton added a corner 3 and a conventional three-point play to put West Virginia ahead 20-11.
But over the final 31 minutes, the Mountaineers made only 8-of-39 shots. And during a stretch late in the half, they turned the ball over on seven of eight possessions.
“We were on 20 points forever,” said coach Bob Huggins.
“They kind of kept the ball out of areas where we wanted to get the ball. But we helped, don’t get me wrong, we helped. We made some horrible decisions.”