No. 24 WVU Women’s Basketball Shaky in Season-Opening Win

WVU Women’s Basketball opened their 2026-27 season with a 68-64 home win over Rhode Island, surviving a late push from the Rams behind 28 points from senior guard Gia Cooke.

The No. 24 Mountaineers (1-0) struggled on defense early, allowing 10 of 17 shots to fall in the first quarter as Rhode Island opened a 24-22 lead. They allowed just 14 of 38 (36.8 percent) the rest of the way and forced 20 turnovers in all, but West Virginia’s own shooting woes — after Cooke, they made just 35.7 percent of shots as a team — nearly sank them. Passing provided a problem for the Mountaineers, as Rhode Island racked up 18 assists in spite of their turnovers.

34 points in the paint and a 17-of-25 clip on free throws helped the Mountaineers weather the storm; Rhode Island attempted just 13 shots from the foul line, making six of them, and West Virginia forced Rams’ starter Martina Borrellas to foul out. Offense slowed down in the third quarter, when the Mountaineers went scoreless for close to four and a half minutes. Freshman forward Divine Tumba ended the cold spell with a steal and coast-to-coast layup, and West Virginia’s own defensive effort helped prevent Rhode Island from gaining significant ground.

Their next slump, which began after Cooke pushed the lead to 60-43 with 6:28 to play, proved far more dangerous. Rhode Island immediately went on a 10-0 run, one that Cooke snapped with another triple; she went on to make four free throws in the final two minutes, helping to close the Rams out.

Up next, WVU Women’s Basketball will host George Washington at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5.