Honor Huff saved the game with three clutch free throws in the final seconds of regulation, then ran off seven consecutive points in overtime as West Virginia, given a second life, overtook Stanford 82-77 in the quarterfinals of the College Basketball Crown Tournament in Las Vegas on Thursday night.
The win sends West Virginia (19-14) into Saturday afternoon’s semifinals against the winner of Thursday’s late game between Rutgers and Creighton.
Stanford (20-13) completed its season with a second consecutive postseason defeat despite a 34-point, five-assist performance by freshman star Ebuka Okorie.
The Cardinal appeared headed for an extended stay in Las Vegas when Okorie had six points and three assists in a 19-6 run that erased a five-point deficit and opened a 65-57 lead with 4:21 to go.
Stanford still held the upper hand, up three and at the foul line with nine seconds remaining. But Jeremy Dent-Smith missed the potential game-clinching free throw and Stanford, intentionally trying to foul to avoid a possible game-tying 3-pointer, waited until Huff was in the act of shooting before committing the foul.
Huff’s three free throws with three seconds left sent the game into overtime.
After the teams had split the first 10 points of the extra session, Huff buried a pair of 14-footers sandwiched two free throws, then added another free throw to give West Virginia an 80-77 lead with 1:23 remaining.
The Cardinal had three chances to tie, but Ryan Agarwal, Okorie and Benny Gealer all misfired on 3-point attempts, allowing the Mountaineers to hold on.
Huff finished with a team-high 21 points and Treysen Eaglestaff added 18 points for the Mountaineers, who won despite shooting just 2-for-20 from 3-point range. Brenen Lorient added 14 points and shared team rebound honors with Chance Moore with seven.
Okorie’s 34 points came on 13-for-23 shooting and gave him 30 or more points for the eighth time this season.
AJ Rohosy chipped in with 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds for the Cardinal, while Aidan Cammann added 12 points.
The Mountaineers led 35-29 at halftime, converting 16 of 31 shots and committing only two turnovers. All eight West Virginia players scored in the first 20 minutes, led by Lorient’s nine points.
Stanford outrebounded West Virginia, 47-37, and collected 16 offensive caroms, but only deadlocked the Mountaineers in second-chance points with 14 apiece.
