WVU Women’s Basketball Crushes Cougars 80-39

After beginning their season with 13 straight wins, Mark Kellogg’s WVU women’s basketball team started a new streak on Wednesday, putting on one of their best defensive performances of the season as they clobbered the Houston Cougars 80-39.

The Mountaineers didn’t let the Cougars on the board for the first 10:53 of game time, a feat seldom accomplished in collegiate women’s basketball. Those 39 points allowed tied a season best, set in the opener against Loyola Maryland on November 7.

WVU Women’s Basketball Accomplishes Rare Feat

Even on a night when they didn’t play their cleanest basketball, turning the ball over 21 times, the Mountaineers still managed to limit Houston’s scoring chances. The Cougars scored just 11 points off those turnovers, making just 28 percent of their shots throughout the game.

JJ Quinerly led the scoring with 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals, although she also turned the ball over eight times in an uncharacteristic down night. Senior forward Kylee Blacksten continued her scoring emergence, slotting in just behind Quinerly with 14 points in 27 minutes, while Lauren Fields posted a double-double with ten points and ten boards.

West Virginia led 35-8 at the half off the back of their overwhelming defensive presence, but continued to add to their lead in the second half despite easing up their defensive pressure, getting quality minutes to young players like Messiah Hunter.

After struggling from beyond the arc during their two-game losing streak against Texas and Iowa State, the Mountaineers continued to focus on their presence down low, scoring 42 points in the paint and attempting only 15 threes, of which they converted six.

WVU Women’s Basketball moves to 15-2 on the season (4-2 Big 12). Up next, they’ll head to Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats at 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 20.