picture by: WVU Athletic Communications
WVU guard Honor Huff hit eight 3-pointers and scored 38 factors in opposition to Oklahoma on Saturday within the finals of the College Basketball crown event.
MORGANTOWN — Honor Huff’s ultimate photographs set data. His legacy on the WVU males’s basketball program is now totally intact.
His phrases had been impactful.
“We didn’t come this far just to come this far,” he advised FOX following the Mountaineers’ 89-82 time beyond regulation victory in opposition to Oklahoma on Sunday contained in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
And for the second time in his faculty profession, Huff went out celebrating a championship. This one was for the College Basketball Crown title, one the guard from Brooklyn, N.Y. delivered personally to WVU’s trophy case with a historic efficiency in his ultimate sport.
His ultimate numbers: 38 factors – a profession excessive – on 9 of 19 capturing. He was an ideal 12 of 12 from the foul line and eight of 15 from 3-point vary.
He was awarded a gold chain sporting two gold die laced with diamonds for being named the event’s MVP. In three wins that additionally included victories in opposition to Stanford and Creighton, Huff completed with 72 factors, averaging 24 factors per sport.
It is WVU’s third all-time postseason event championship, following NIT titles received in 1942 and 2007.
“This is the last game for us seniors, so this is crazy,” Huff stated together with his teammates surrounding him. “A lot of us were underrated, under recruited. It’s crazy, because we’re here right now with a team that just loves each other. We wanted to pull it out for each other. I can’t even explain the feeling.”
Huff entered the sport needing 5 3-pointers to tie Frank Young’s faculty mark for one season of 117. That took the 5-foot-9 guard lower than 10 minutes to perform, together with his record-tying shot coming from about 27 toes away proper in entrance of the Oklahoma bench after Huff first needed to leap into the air to maintain Harlan Obioha’s go from crusing out of bounds.
The shot clock was operating low at that time, so Huff simply chucked it up.
Of course it went in, Huff’s fifth consecutive 3-pointer to start the sport that gave the Mountaineers (21-14) an early 26-11 lead.
Then got here the double groups on Huff from the Sooners (21-16). His room to function was minimal. WVU’s offense grew to become a bit sluggish due to it and Oklahoma bought sizzling.
By the time halftime hit, Oklahoma had erased a 15-point deficit and had taken a 41-37 lead into the break. The lead ultimately grew to 13 factors, 59-46, with 14 minutes remaining in regulation.
How many occasions had the Mountaineers been in that place throughout Ross Hodge’s first season on the helm of the Mountaineers? How many occasions did WVU appear helpless, solely to stage some sort of run?
“So many times we were supposed to be down and out,” stated Hodge, who locked himself shoulder to shoulder with Huff throughout the postgame celebration. “They just kept coming back each time by making winning plays and that’s why I’ll forever remember this group. They’ve set a standard and an expectation for seasons to come.”
Huff was heroic in main Chattanooga to the NIT championship in 2025. A yr later, he was historic, and historic doesn’t get locked up perpetually. Historical doesn’t enable himself to be slowed down by double groups all the sport.
So, Huff started going previous and round Oklahoma defenders. He threw up a near-impossible floater within the lane that Huff additionally drew a foul on. The shot went in and Huff’s free throw lower Oklahoma’s result in 59-49 with 14:02 left in regulation.
Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser may solely muster up a unusual smile whereas watching the play, as he waved his arms in disbelief.
There was nonetheless a lot extra to come back.
Huff’s record-breaking 3-pointer got here on a designed inbounds play that lower Oklahoma’s lead all the way down to 4. That was No. 118 on the season. A couple of minutes later he nailed No. 119 to tie the sport at 74 with 1:05 remaining. Huff capped off regulation with two extra free throws that gave WVU a 76-74 lead with 33.8 seconds left.
Oklahoma countered when Tae Davis scored on a pick-and-roll play to ship the sport into time beyond regulation.
In time beyond regulation got here Huff’s one hundred and twentieth and ultimate 3-pointer of the season that tied the sport at 82 with 2:15 left. WVU level guard Jasper Floyd adopted go well with with a 3-pointer of his personal after which Obioha got here up with a essential blocked shot on Davis’ run to the rim.
Huff completed the championship off by going 4 for 4 from the foul line within the ultimate minute to seal the deal.
“It’s what this team has done,” Hodge stated. “Whether it was being down big in games or having a tough loss, they’ve always found a way to put themselves back in the mix. They’re special.”
By no means was Huff a one-man present within the win. Chance Moore capped off his ultimate collegiate sport with one robust drive to the basket after one other. He completed with 19 factors and 10 rebounds. Brenen Lorient, one other WVU senior taking part in his ultimate sport, added 15 factors and eight rebounds.
They had been all key topics on this evening in what was Huff’s ultimate crowning efficiency. With his school-record of 120 3-pointers firmly within the books, Huff was requested how huge the basket really appeared to him on this evening.
“It didn’t look that big. I should have made more, honestly,” he stated. “I’m my very own worst critic. These guys behind me, that they had the utmost confidence in me to make photographs. Even if I’m down, they at all times inform me to maintain capturing.
“It’s been a great ride. It’s always great to end with a win and be happy like this.”