WVU Women’s Basketball Dominates BYU in Paint in Win

WVU Women’s Basketball dominated the paint on Saturday, Jan. 24, defeating BYU 91-77 on the road. The No. 22 Mountaineers (17-4, 7-2 Big 12) made 58.7 percent of their shots from two-point range, dropping 50 points in the paint and adding 22 more from the charity stripe.

Sydney Woodley (23 points, 6-of-7 shooting) and Gia Cooke (21 points and four of the Mountaineers’ five made three-pointers) led the charge, while Carter McCray posted a 13 point, 11 rebound double-double before fouling out. West Virginia forced 25 turnovers, allowing them to attempt 14 more shots than the Cougars took — a critical difference in a game where they allowed 18 made free throws and struggled to defend the three-point line, allowing BYU to convert on 11-of-24 shots.  

Mountaineers Inch Their Way Back

The Cougars blew in front with a 15-2 run in the first quarter, pushing their lead as high as 13 points. West Virginia closed the gap with a 9-0 burst late in the frame that began with a Cooke triple. Another nine point run, this one late in the second, put the Mountaineers in front 35-32, Woodley scoring the go-ahead bucket off a shot clock turnover.

After allowing 7-of-10 threes to fall in the first half, West Virginia’s defense tightened up out of the break: Delaney Gibb, who finished with 28 points, sank a game-tying three on the Cougars’ second possession, but they missed their next five attempts. Shaw answered with a three of her own, sparking an 8-0 burst in 18 seconds — Harrison sank a layup and Cooke made a three off a pair of BYU turnovers — putting the Mountaineers in front for good.

Up next, WVU Women’s Basketball will continue their Beehive State road trip against Utah, with that game set to begin at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27.