WVU Mountaineer Sports: Basketball | Football | News |Bryant Scores Career-High in Win Over Villanova

West Virginia University Guard Truck Bryant picked a great time to score a career-high 34 points. Bryant led WVU to an 83-69 victory over Villanova in their Big East opener.

"I couldn't do it without my teammates," Bryant said following the win. "They found me when I was open and they screened for me when I wasn't open."

"He took better shots," Head Coach Bob Huggins said. "I thought his balance was a lot better. We've been on him about his balance and I thought he stepped into his shots better (tonight)."

Bryant has been working harder on his shooting skills. One way he is trying to become more consistent with his scoring is to alter his pregame routine.

"I came out at 5:00 and shot with (Jerrod) Calhoun until 5:30 to 5:45," Bryant said. "I've been doing that since the Kansas State game and whenever the rest of the team comes out I relax and just focus on the game."

The extra work is paying off. In the seven games since Bryant changed his pregame routine, he has averaged 20 points per game. He failed to score more than 18 points in any of the six games prior to that.

"I feel like when my shot is falling I just know everything is going in now," Bryant said with a smile. "I feel good. If I miss the next one, I know the next one after that is going in. When I am making shots I feel like it is different for me and I feel like it is different for the team."

Bryant's 34 points were the most scored in the Coliseum by a Mountaineer since Da'Sean Butler poured in 43 against Villanova in 2009. This performance vaulted Bryant into the top 25 on the all-time scoring list at WVU. He needs two points to pass Steve Berger for 24^th place.

Senior Forward Kevin Jones scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the win over Villanova on Wednesday. Bryant, Jones and Forward Deniz Kilicli combined to score 57 of West Virginia's 83 points.

"I don't think KJ scored in the second half," Huggins said. "But you saw how important he is to us because he gets everyone to where they're supposed to be, and he gets so much attention that it opens things up for everybody else."

"That's one thing with me and KJ," Bryant stated. "If KJ is not having the game he wants to have, I'm going to step up. If I'm not having the game I want to have, KJ is going to step up. The last two games KJ stepped up. The two before that I stepped up and Turk has been playing solid for us."

Bryant and the rest of his West Virginia teammates once again have very little time to prepare for their next game. WVU will visit Seton Hall Friday night. Seton Hall dropped its Big East opener at top-ranked Syracuse Wednesday night.