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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Erik Stevenson saved placing stress on himself to shoot higher as West Virginia struggled towards one ranked crew after one other.
His time lastly got here Saturday.
Stevenson scored a career-high 31 factors and the Mountaineers withstood a late rally from No. 15 Auburn to beat the Tigers 80-77 within the SEC/Large 12 Problem.
Stevenson made 10 of 17 pictures, together with seven 3-pointers. In his earlier six video games. he shot 18 of 67 (27%) from the ground, together with 5 of 34 (15%) from past the arc.
Stevenson, a graduate switch from South Carolina who's West Virginia's main scorer at 13.1 factors per sport, stated it felt like he was “capturing the ball within the ocean” on Saturday.
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“It has been an extended two, three weeks,” he stated, his voice cracking with emotion. “I have been capturing the ball effectively in follow. I've had good psychological days. Then come sport time, it hasn't been dropping for me. It is actually been taking a toll on me. It is my job to assist the crew in any approach I can. They depend on me to attain, and if I am not scoring, it is hurting the crew. It is actually been hurting me, to be trustworthy.”
Stevenson's turnovers and defensive errors have at occasions landed him a seat on the bench close to coach Bob Huggins. Just a few weeks in the past, Huggins stated he and Stevenson have a relationship the place “I do know he is a bit of loopy, and he is aware of I is perhaps crazier.” However Huggins stated the participant has grow to be “extra coachable.”
Stevenson topped his earlier excessive of 29 factors in January 2020 towards one other SEC crew, Mississippi, when he was with Wichita State.
“It was a matter of time,” Huggins stated Saturday. "He’s put time in. He’s actually labored at his mechanics.”
The Mountaineers (13-8) have gained two straight for the primary time in a month and now head into the tooth of the Large 12 schedule that determines an NCAA Event berth.
With Charles Barkley cheering on his alma mater from a courtside seat, Auburn (16-5) couldn’t overcome one other gradual begin. The Tigers by no means led within the sport and have misplaced two straight for the primary time in two years.
“We didn’t get off to an ideal begin, and clearly that damage us,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl stated. “That was an actual prize that we missed.”
Stevenson had 18 first-half factors on 6 of 9 capturing, together with three 3-pointers that staked the Mountaineers to a 45-29 halftime lead.
Auburn’s two prime scorers, Wendell Inexperienced Jr. and Johni Broome, have been restricted to a mixed three factors within the first half. They led a cost after the break and Auburn trimmed the deficit to 66-65 on Broome’s layup with 5:16 left.
However the Tigers by no means went forward. Broome's layup with 7.6 seconds left trimmed Auburn's deficit to 79-77. Stevenson then capped the scoring by making certainly one of two free throws. Inexperienced's potential tying 3-pointer on the buzzer was quick.
Jimmy Bell Jr. added 15 factors for the Mountaineers.
Jaylin Williams led Auburn with 18 factors. Broome added 15 and Allen Flanigan scored 13.
Barkley was the particular visitor at Huggins’ sold-out charity barbecue on Friday evening. The annual occasion advantages an endowment named for Huggins' late mom on the college’s Most cancers Institute, in addition to offering scholarships for mining engineering college students at WVU. Previous visitors have included coaches John Calipari of Kentucky and Invoice Self of Kansas.
Auburn: The Tigers might want to regroup with key matchups looming within the subsequent two weeks towards No. 4 Tennessee and No. 2 Alabama, wrapped round rematches towards groups which have already crushed them — Georgia and Texas A&M.
West Virginia: The schedule doesn’t get any simpler for the Mountaineers both, with seven video games towards ranked foes over the ultimate 11 regular-season contests.
Auburn: Hosts Georgia on Wednesday.
West Virginia: Travels to No. 11 TCU on Tuesday.
AP faculty basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top2
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