WVU Women’s Basketball Earns Christmas Gift, Ranked in AP Poll

WVU Women’s Basketball made their way into the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time this season, ranked No. 25 in the Week 8 poll released at noon on Christmas.

The Mountaineers sit at 11-0 on the season after earning a pair of wins last week, squeaking past Wright State before dominating Niagara. West Virginia is one of nine undefeated teams in the Top 25, and one of five ranked teams in the Big 12.

The Quad 4 wins against Wright State hurt the Mountaineers’ case in the NET rankings, as they slid from the No. 24 spot to the No. 31 spot despite continuing their unbeaten start to the season.

West Virginia managed a ranked win over Penn State earlier in the month, but their strength of schedule beyond that game seems to have hurt their national perception. With Big 12 play beginning on December 30 against Kansas, they’ll have an excellent chance to bolster their resume… although the games will continue to get tougher.

WVU Women’s Basketball boasts one of the top defenses in the nation this season. They force an average of 25.73 turnovers per game, the second-best margin in the nation, and they limit their opponents to 53.2 points per game, good for No. 21. The Mountaineers’ aggressive full-court press helps key their offense. While head coach Mark Kellogg says the unit still isn’t playing their best basketball, they rank No. 18 with 82.7 points per game.