AUSTIN, Texas — Bob Huggins loves the yarns about his gritty yesteryear teams grinding out tough victories. His current West Virginia squad hadn’t measured up to that standard.

Until Wednesday night.

Down 10 in the final 3 1/2 minutes at Texas, the Mountaineers kept hearing their coach repeat “find a way” in a game where they could hardly find the rim. The mantra, adopted by Huggins’ teams at Cincinnati, paid off for West Virginia, which overcame 30-percent shooting and staged a 13-0 run late in regulation before pulling out a 57-53 win in overtime.

Aaric Murray had 12 points and 10 rebounds for West Virginia (8-6, 1-1), and Kevin Noreen, making only his second start of the season, added 13 boards and a key 3-pointer that sparked WVU’s rally.

“That 3 gave us a big lift,” Huggins said, “but Kevin also got 13 rebounds, and that’s pretty good for a guy that can’t jump over a phone book.”

The Mountaineers appeared ready to phone this one in after a 24-21 halftime deficit ballooned into a 13-point hole midway through the second half. But Huggins kept preaching his find-a-way philosophy and WVU responded by winning on a night when its offensive execution, for the most part, was even worse than its abysmal norm.

“Hopefully this kind of gets us back to being my team,” Huggins said. “They really weren’t my team before, because we didn’t compete the way we needed to compete. I thought they really competed hard today.”

Said dejected Texas coach Rick Barnes: “When it was winning time, West Virginia wanted the game more than we did. Nothing hurts more than seeing your opponent want it more than you.”

West Virginia, which blew a 12-point second-half lead in its Big 12 home opener to Oklahoma on Saturday, was on the good end of the comeback this time, despite suffering through a midgame stretch in which it missed 18 of 20 shots.

Texas (8-7, 0-2) enjoyed its biggest cushion at 42-29 with 8:37 to go, displaying why it leads the nation in field-goal percentage defense. The margin was still a seemingly comfortable 47-37 before Noreen buried a 3 from the corner with 3:14 left — WVU’s first long-distance make after going 0-for-14.

“I didn’t realize we were shooting that poorly,” Noreen said. “I was open and the shot clock was winding down, so I figured why not take it.

“Little did I know it would have help us get on a roll.”

“When it was winning time, West Virginia wanted the game more than we did. Nothing hurts more than seeing your opponent want it more than you.” — Texas coach Rick Barnes

Next came Murray’s basket off an inbounds pass, and then Hinds (who had started 0-of-6 from 3-point range) hit WVU’s second 3-pointer to make the gap 47-45 with 1:52 left.

With the somber crowd of 6,267 finally stirring in hopes of coaxing Texas to the finish line, the Longhorns only continued to buckle. Javan Felix’s soft pass was stolen by Gary Browne near midcourt, leading to the game-tying layup and a foul. Though Browne missed the and-1 free throw, WVU regained possession with 51 seconds left after a UT airball led to a shot-clock violation.

Unable to hold for the last shot but patiently using most of the possession clock, WVU worked the ball around the perimeter before Eron Harris made the Mountaineers’ third straight 3-pointer with 16 seconds left for a 50-47 lead.

Texas rushed into the forecourt where point guard Javan Felix missed a runner and the ball caromed out of bounds with 5.7 seconds left. After a timeout, Texas forward Jonathan Holmes ran free to the near corner off an inbounds screen and made the tying 3 with 3 seconds left as two WVU defenders charged toward him.

Browne, WVU’s reserve point guard who played 31 minutes with starter Juwan Staten benched in the second half, drove back downcourt only to put up an errant 15-footer after the clock expired.

In the first 43 seconds of overtime, Hinds and Murray combined to miss four free throws before Texas got a outback dunk by Prince Ibeh. Yet West Virginia persevered, with Murray getting his own stickback before Browne’s two free throws put WVU up for good at 54-52 with 3:14 left.

On the other end, UT’s best foul shooter Sheldon McClellan missed a one-and-one, which the Longhorns rebounded and fed to McClellan in the corner, where he missed a wide-open 3.

That’s when the Mountaineers rebounded and began a marathon possession at the 2:40 mark. It ended 1:46 later after four missed shots and three offensive rebounds — the home crowd groaning with each new WVU rebound and reset. Still, it produced no points, and when Ibeh made 1-of-2 free throws, UT trailed 54-53 inside of a minute.

Again, WVU worked the clock, and again Harris launched from 3. It was no good but Dominique Rutledge tracked down the miss — the Mountaineers’ 17th offensive rebound of the game — and fed outside to Browne, who was fouled with 15 seconds left.

Browne made one free throw for a 55-53 lead, Texas angled to extend the game again. But Murray stole Ioannis Papapetrou’s pass in the lane, got fouled and hit two free throws to seal it.

“West Virginia took it,” Barnes said. “It was there for the taking and they took it.”

Brown had nine points and five rebounds for WVU, while Deniz Kilicli came off the bench to contribute eight points before fouling out.

Holmes led Texas with 12 points and nine rebounds. Felix had 11 points and four assists, but also three of the Longhorns’ 14 turnovers.

STATEN IN THE DOGHOUSE
The Mountaineers curiously played the entire second half without Staten — the team leader in points and minutes this season. Huggins said he decided at half to bench the sophomore point guard for not playing within the system, a surprise considering that there had been no public signs of a rift previously.

“It’s my team — it’s not his,” Huggins said. “We talk about being on the same page? Well, I wrote the book. He’s going to be on the same page as everybody else or he’s going to continue sitting over there. That may be too blunt, but it’s honest.”

OFF THE MARK
McClellan, who came in averaging 15 points per game, wound up with nine points on 2-of-13 shooting. He also made just 5-of-10 at the foul line, well off his usual 84-percent clip. Texas was 11-of-25 overall at the foul line.

Barnes explained McClellan’s struggles as “the difference in being a role player and a person that people game plan for.” And West Virginia clearly targeted him with defense that was clingy and, at times, bruising.

Said McClellan: “They were pretty physical, but it’s not an excuse. I’ve still got to make plays for my team because they’re looking for me to score the ball. I just didn’t make enough plays.”

3-POINT STREAK
WVU was in danger of ending its 436 consecutive-games streak with a 3-pointer — a string dating back to the Nov. 27, 1999, game against Robert Morris.

Then, in the final 3:14 of regulation, the Mountaineers made three consecutive treys, fueling the comeback.

In overtime, WVU missed three more from long distance, resulting in one of the most satisfying 3-of-20 long-range shooting night Huggins ever experienced. West Virginia’s 45-39 rebounding edge made it bearable.

“We’re going to miss shots,” he said. “We’ve got to figure out ways to get it back.”

Allan Taylor

ataylor@wvradio.com
@AllanTaylorWVU
Allan Taylor joined MetroNews in August 2012, following 18 years of newspaper, magazine and multimedia work as an SEC columnist, sports editor, assistant sports editor, managing editor, news reporter and media consultant.
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Comments

  • Habib Haddad

    Hope this gritty win deep in the heart of Texas breaks the ice for this team and starts them on the path to another NCAA berth. Play Huggstown ball and everything else will take care of itself.

    January 10, 2013 at 6:13 am | Reply Report comment

  • John

    That's a little more like it. This team made me proud last night because they didn't give up and seemingly refused to lose. Good job.

    January 10, 2013 at 7:35 am | Reply Report comment

    • Phil

      I dont know what your smoking but the game last night was horrible. We shot 30% until the last 4 minutes of the game. It was easily one of our worst performances all year; we are just lucky Texas sucked just as bad. Helen Keller could have found the basket better than WVU last night.

      January 10, 2013 at 9:29 am | Reply Report comment

      • John

        Smoking nothing and also rather sure you wouldn't say that to my face. The point is, shots don't always fall and last night was a shining example. However, our defense jumped some passing lanes and forced some crucial turnovers with the game on the line. Our Mountaineers wanted it more and that was evident in the rebounding in OT.
        On a separate note, I'm a lifelong Mountaineer fan but I've lived all over the country. I've never seen a fan base jump all over the members of its own ranks quite like "we" do. We're our own worst enemies and have more "insider attacks" than an Afghanistan police department.

        January 10, 2013 at 9:49 am | Reply Report comment

        • Phil

          MetroNews readers and Mountaineer fans wherever you may be I have found a "Mountaineer Fan" that Pitt can have...

          January 10, 2013 at 10:08 am | Reply Report comment

          • John

            You are truly an ironic person. I'm the one with something positive to say about the win but am chastised for my comments and you suggest I should become a fan of another team...? Why don't you just belittle Allan Taylor for having the audacity to pen articles about the Mountaineers? You could perhaps find some children wearing blue and gold getting off a school bus this afternoon and chase them around for a little bit. You have proven my point about our fan base. Shortly after WVU beat UT this past football season, my UT alum friend gave my family a couple of WVU Christmas ornaments just because he happened to see them in a store in Dallas. Drop by in a WV publication to celebrate a win with your "fellow fans" and find yourself accused of smoking something because you're happy with come-from-behind win. Don't worry, Phil. I won't be back. Enjoy yourself and that great attitude of yours.

            January 10, 2013 at 11:49 am |

  • WVWho

    Texas Toast?? (crickets)...

    January 10, 2013 at 9:10 am | Reply Report comment

  • chad

    Don't get to excited, Texas is pretty bad. It is a good win for our young guys though. They overcame a lot of adversity and found a way to win. It's something they can build on into the future.

    January 10, 2013 at 9:18 am | Reply Report comment

  • Scott

    I loved the Huggs comment on Staten.Also he changed the starting lineup and right from the start the hustle was there .It wasn't a pretty game for sure but it is a badly needed win and thats all that counts. When guys came off the bench they tried hard. Looks like Huggs may have gotten these "tuned out" players back in tune. Lets hope.

    January 10, 2013 at 9:52 am | Reply Report comment

  • jethro

    hey , a wins a win. i feel sorry for these guys that they cant find their game. lets goo mountaineers!

    January 10, 2013 at 10:27 am | Reply Report comment

  • tony

    the desire and grit is back......now anything is possible....

    January 10, 2013 at 10:40 am | Reply Report comment

  • Big Tom

    this was a game in which no one should have won... if we play this way again, we will be blown out. Ugly game, terrible shooting, i mean we looked terrible..
    i have never seen a worse shooting wvu team. layups, two feet from the bucket, etc..it was comical at times just how poorly we played . ball handling was a joke. What ever staten did, he has to pay, this is his reputation coming in, his dad wants to run the show and it's rubbed off on him... Thank you huggie for puting him in his place, and leave him onthe bench if he can't play team ball.

    January 10, 2013 at 10:45 am | Reply Report comment

  • Bill

    I’m wondering why Kevin Noreen after he makes the first three pointer of the game is then pulled out of the game, and then spends the rest of the game on the bench? I would like to see Kevin continue start and then be set up to take some shots, but the way it looks if he shoots and makes the goal out he comes. He proved in the VT game he can shoot, he needs to take more shots; he for sure cannot do any worse than any of the others.

    January 10, 2013 at 10:53 am | Reply Report comment

  • WVWho

    Couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. Luckily, texas went 4-20 from the free throw line in the fist half otherwise it would have been mop up duty early. Team is undiciplined and gets in foul trouble easily, can't make shots and counts on other teams to do the same. Texas will probably win the rematch with their starting point guard back and their #1 scorer at full strength. Time will tell.

    January 10, 2013 at 11:56 am | Reply Report comment

  • jake123

    wvu 's team learned a good lesson last night ,i.the throw it up and go get it style is a physical way with lots of fouls but it fits wv.we are deep and depth paid off last night. think i saw some light bulbs come on about effort and team.love me some basketball go eeers

    January 10, 2013 at 12:11 pm | Reply Report comment

  • Jeff

    Good effort defensively ...on both teams but remember Texas is average at best TY ..I just wish the players would enjoy playing they look to the bench to see if they are getting pulled after each mistake .. walking on pins and needles at all times .. lets focus on the players and their efforts not the side show .....we need to display more class at times and deal with issues in practice not during the game for everyone including announcers to comment on.

    January 10, 2013 at 12:23 pm | Reply Report comment

    • Rob

      Hey Jeff, thanks for saying that. I know many people are thinking it. I've loved Huggs and been a supporter since he finally came home, but this season has me shaking my head. I understand it must be frustrating that this team, although there is plenty of talent, is just not coming together. But I really have a hard time supporting some of the actions this year. Jeff was exactly correct with the pins and needles comment. One minor mistake and you're out! Players are a nervous wreck, you can see it. The constant rotation every time someone has a minor error is a bit ridiculous. Maybe if 5 guys played together for more than a minute or two, they may develop some sense of teamwork, coordination, and where the other guy might be, rather than trying to remember which guys are in at any given moment. It looks like uncontrolled chaos to me. I've always thought that you use your bench for rest roration, strategy, and of course for blatantly poor play. But this is just crazy. In the Oklahoma game, Terry Henderson hit 4 straight three's in the first half, then on an errant pivot lost the ball off his knee and it went out. Of course he receives the immediate Huggins yank and scream and sits on the bench for the rest of the half and most of the second half. Then, when we lose the lead, he is beckoned back in but of course he has cooled off by then and as a freshman didn't handle the pressure of the game too well. My point is that the players were relaxed and enjoying the game in the first half, then presumably had the crap beat out of them at half time, came out all tense, and blew a 12 point lead. I think that just as much blame belongs with the coach as the players in the OK game. And this screaming at the players at home games does not demonstrate a lot of class IMHO. I mean when the coliseum is quiet and he screams some insult at a player and then there is a ripple of laughter from the crowd, do you think that is motivating or even correctional to the player? I understand you half to be tough on these guys, but it is like a side show, to Jeff's point again. And finally, I can't remember too many great coaches who will disparage and belittle their players to the media. That's for practice and behind the scenes, not for the media and fans. If they are so bad, maybe we need to look at recruiting efforts. Calling out individual players or like the statment that "this is my team, not his" referring to Staten. OK, if Staten did something, then bench him and deal with it with Staten one on one. We all know who's team it is, I don't think we as fans need that reiterated. And it goes on and on...... the library comment, Noreen gets 13 rebounds and is joked about because he "can't jump over a phone book", they won't do this, they won't do that. I'm not sure I've ever heard any of the few coaches with more wins than Huggs refer to players with that little respect. OK, so I've got that off my chest.....and yes, who am I to criticize one of the winningest coaches ever I know. I'm thrilled Huggs is here, I love WVU basketball, I never miss a home game, but I have to say, I've never been as turned off as I am this year by all this chaos, finger-pointing, and disparagement of our players. I hope things get better soon, because when you combine all this BS with Oliver Luck's latest cash grab ticket pricing from loyal Mountaineer fans, this 15 year season ticket holder is beginning to wonder what the hell is going on with WVU athletics and whether I want to spend any more of my money watching it up close.

      January 10, 2013 at 1:39 pm | Reply Report comment

      • JTJ

        Great Reply Let's hope it gets to Huggs.

        January 10, 2013 at 7:03 pm | Reply Report comment

  • Big Tom

    we are a bad team, and really the team concept doesn't exist. we are the poorest shooting team at wvu in decades.
    we aren't athletic, we are slow, and we can't shoot ,did i say that.
    this team won't go to the big dance and maybe not the NIT..our FB and BB just sucks and we're in over our heads i thebig 12.
    we will never be good in the big 12.. just mid pack at best,,, we have 1 div 1 player per yr in wv in football, and that's the problem

    January 10, 2013 at 12:36 pm | Reply Report comment

  • cutty77

    This is The way WVU plays under Huggs.Its The Root Canel Offense.I swear they must have The Indoor pratice must be closed,or The Rims are Covered.When we played Texas in Football,the Football Teams scored more points than the Basketball Teams did untill it went into Over-Time.I have never seen Offense Challenged Teams like Huggs Recruits.Nowadays its hard to find guys that can't shoot,But Huggs sure finds them.Lol

    January 10, 2013 at 12:37 pm | Reply Report comment

    • Big Tom

      he recruited them , he will fix it , he said... i'm waiting, how many seasons will it take.

      January 10, 2013 at 2:24 pm | Reply Report comment

  • GregG

    This was the first time in all my years of watching basketball that I witnessed two teams have to go into overtime in order to give a game away. A good high school team could have beat WVU or Texas last night. I don't know how Huggins stands it. These kids would make the Pope take up drinking. I usually don't call the players out, but this bunch is the laziest, hard headed kids I have ever seen take to the court. The play as if they are a bunch of PE students that doesn't have a care in the world about the game. I would strap them to a chair and make them watch film of Joe Mazzulla until their eyes crossed. Maybe then they would understand the true meaning of having a love of the game.

    January 10, 2013 at 2:35 pm | Reply Report comment

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