MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Nov. 22, 2024) – The West Virginia University women's basketball team closed out its six-game season-opening homestand with a 98-28 win over Lafayette on Friday night inside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers controlled the game from the opening tip, in a total team performance that saw five players score in double figures and 12 score at least one point. West Virginia finished the game with a mark of 56.9 percent from the floor and added a 14-of-25 mark from beyond the arc. Both are season-high performances. The 14 made 3’s are the most ever by a Mark Kellogg led team.
WVU also forced Lafayette into 30 turnovers, marking the fourth time WVU has reached that number in a game this season. West Virginia limited the Leopard to fewer than 10 points in each of the four quarters and racked up 21 steals.
Senior guard JJ Quinerly played in her 100th career game for the Mountaineers and scored 19 points while adding five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Senior guard Sydney Woodley got it done on both ends of the floor, pouring in 15 points and adding five steals.
Senior guard Kyah Watson filled the start sheet with seven steals, six rebounds, five assists and added six points. Freshman guard Destiny Agubata joined Watson with a game-high six rebounds.
Senior forward Kylee Blacksten finished with 13 points. Freshman forward Jordan Thomas, made her first career start in the gold and blue, scoring 11 points to reach double figures for the second time this season. Senior forward Tirzah Moore was the final Mountaineer in double figures with 10 points.
West Virginia knocked down four threes from four different Mountaineers as Thomas cashed in on two layups over the opening five minutes to a 16-4 lead. The Mountaineers outscored the Leopards 12-0 over five minutes in the middle part of the quarter en route to a 22-8 lead at the break.
WVU scored the opening nine points of the second, seven points coming at the charity stripe, to increase their lead to 25 points over the opening four minutes. After trading buckets to the 3:21 mark, West Virginia scored the final seven points of the quarter to take a 45-15 lead into the locker room.
Quinerly led all scorers with 11 points across the opening 20 minutes, adding four rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
The Mountaineers outscored the Leopards 33-4 in the third quarter and 28-2 over the final 7:46 of the frame. WVU added 20 more points in the fourth quarter on its way to a dominant 70-point victory.
The margin of victory is just three points off a program-best mark set in 2011 against North Carolina Central. The win is the sixth straight to open the season, marking the second consecutive season WVU has hit the mark. It is just the seventh time since the 2000 season the Mountaineers have opened with six straight wins.
Of note, WVU is now 1-0 all-time in the series against Lafayette. The Mountaineers have run their nonconference home win streak to 34 games, dating back to the 2018-19 season. West Virginia is now 8-1 all-time against the Patriot League.
West Virginia is a perfect 17-0 in regular-season nonconference action under head coach Mark Kellogg.
Next up, West Virginia hits the road for the first time this season with competition at the Gulf Coast Showcase. WVU is set to open play against High Point in Fort Meyers, Florida on Friday, Nov. 29. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. ET inside Hertz Arena.
