After spending the last couple of weeks/games in a slump, "Good Truck" was back in a big way on Sunday against the Friars. He had 8 at halftime, despite what Huggs called "dreadful" shooting. When Truck came back after the break he exploded for another 24, including the tying drive at the end of regulation and the decisive three pointer at the end of overtime.
WVU trailed by as many as 15 in the first half, but was able to cut the deficit to 6 at the break. The Mountaineers continued to trail throughout the second half, but were finally able to make a late run and tie the game to force overtime, behind Truck's contributions and a career high of 22 from the big Turk, Deniz Kilicli and a quiet 20 points from Kevin Jones (his ninth straight 20 point game). Providence's late game free throw shooting struggles didn't do them any favors either.
Despite being well known for his tendency to keep shooting the ball, even when mired in a slump, Truck was getting prodded by the Turk to keep shooting:
"He kept saying, 'Shoot it, shoot it, shoot it,' ' Bryant said of Kilicli. "Well, you know me. I was going to shoot it anyway. He didn't have to tell me.'' - Charleston Gazette
Thankfully, for Mountaineer fans and his teammates, Truck's shots were falling yesterday, leading a struggling, of late, team to victory. For that, Truck Bryant is your Smoking Musket Most Awesome Player of the Game.