AUSTIN, Texas — For nearly 37 minutes, West Virginia-Texas gave us the type of basketball showcase that made fans eager for spring football.
Then WVU suddenly surged to life, and before you could say “NIT” the Mountaineers not only erased a 10-point deficit but actually seized a 50-47 lead on freshman Eron Harris’ 3-pointer with 16 seconds left.
Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
This was a monumental moment for Bob Huggins’ team, a stirring comeback, a season’s resurrection.
And it was completely undone 13 seconds later.
Texas forward Jonathan Holmes – abandoned in the corner when WVU’s Aaric Murray left to help on a double screen for UT’s top scorer Sheldon McClellan — caught the inbounds pass and launched the 3-point equalizer as Murray and teammate Dominique Rutledge tried too late to recover.
Swish-boom-dud. Texas sent the game to overtime and sent WVU into a moment of second-guessing. The Mountaineers seemed ripe for a collapse.
“We were a little bit down after they hit that 3,” admitted forward Kevin Noreen. “But Coach pulled us together and said ‘We’ve got them on the run. Let’s finish them off.’”
After Holmes’ end-of-regulation dagger turned WVU’s mood from glowing to glum, Huggins eschewed X’s and O’s in hopes of sending his players into overtime with a morale boost.
“We kind of had our heads down a bit, and we’ve done that this year when things weren’t going well for us,” he said. “So that was the conversation I had with them. There wasn’t much strategy going on. It was ‘Get your heads up and let’s go play.’”
The most uplifting words, however, didn’t come from Huggins, but rather from Murray.
“Aaric said ‘We’re not going to lose this one,’ and that’s the first time I’ve seen him have that kind of focus,” Noreen said. “During games in the past, that 3 would have gotten to him. But to his credit, this time he was the one that kept us together.”
In the five-minute overtime period, Murray was at his best — contributing four points, four rebounds and two steals. His overall statline was 12 points, 10 rebounds and four steals.
Said Huggins: “I thought Aaric played a heck of a game.”
Gold and Blue Now Wednesday, June 19 
Gold and Blue Now Monday, June 17 
Gold and Blue Now: Friday, June 14 
Sportsline: Jed Drenning 
Sportsline: Morgantown's Amanii Brown 
Sportsline: John Bowers 
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Comments
Tom
I like it, keep it up boys! Lets GOOO!
January 10, 2013 at 9:42 am | Report comment
tony
this is music to big rick's ears....and every eers' ears......
January 10, 2013 at 11:38 am | Report comment
Derek
Maybe the leadership we needed. Don't hate on this young ballclub they have all the tools we just have to put them together. Great win lets get KSU. Go Eers! !!!!!!!!
January 10, 2013 at 9:23 pm | Report comment
Pghmountaineer
This was a nice win but lets get serious, we'll be lucky to win 5 conference games this year. We can't shoot the ball, our bigs get in early foul trouble every game, we can't count on our foul shooting, and we play spotty defense. Other than that we are a great team.
January 10, 2013 at 9:24 pm | Report comment
mark
I swore I was going to bed at least 4 times last night. Those were two of the worst teams I have ever seen. Glad I stayed up and watched the end. Let's actually play a great game on our home court Sat.
January 10, 2013 at 10:27 pm | Report comment
polarbear
Pgh,
I have a hundred that says we win more than 5 conference games. Sounds like you are ready to jump of the Westover bridge. Sir step of the ledge!
January 11, 2013 at 2:33 pm | Report comment
polarbear
off not of
January 11, 2013 at 2:34 pm | Report comment
Pghmountaineer
Polar. I hope you're right. Tell me why you think they'll win more than 5 games. Better yet, what games do you think are wins?
January 11, 2013 at 11:03 pm | Report comment
Bryan
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June 2, 2013 at 6:58 am | Report comment