SAN JUAN, P.R. - (Nov. 24, 2023) – The West Virginia University women’s basketball defeated Charlotte 84-56, using a dominant middle two quarters to collect its second win in as many days at the Discover Puerto Rico Shootout on Friday morning. The Mountaineers outscored the 49ers 50-20 during the middle two quarters.
Sophomore guard Jordan Harrison recorded her first double-double at West Virginia with a game-high 18 points and 10 rebounds. Fifth-year senior Lauren Fields finished just behind with 17 points and added eight steals. Fields’ 17 points pushed her over the 1,000 career points mark as her eight steals are tied for the fourth most all-time. It is the first time a player has reached eight steals in a game since 2021 when Kysre Gondrezick hit the mark against Oklahoma.
Junior guard Tirzah Moore was the final Mountaineer in double figures with 12 points and added four rebounds. Junior guard Kyah Watson collected a game-high six rebounds.
The win also marked 450 career wins for head coach Mark Kellogg across his 19 seasons.
The Mountaineers raced out to a 7-3 lead early, but Charlotte hung around, eventually taking the lead at 15-13 with two minutes to play. The 49ers pushed its lead to as many as four before a Fields three and a Moore free throw leveled the score at 18. Fields added a free throw of her own with 23 seconds to play in the quarter, briefly regaining the lead, but a Charlotte layup at the buzzer saw WVU trailing 20-19 after 10.
West Virginia took control of the contest during the second quarter, forcing the 49ers into 10 turnovers and just 1-of-7 from the field. WVU outscored Charlotte 24-9 in the quarter and made use of 12 points from the 49ers’ miscues.
WVU scored the first seven points of the quarter to take a 26-20 lead at the 7:37 mark. Charlotte hit its only field goal of the quarter moments later to pull back within four. West Virginia went on to a 17-7 scoring run to take a 49-29 lead into halftime. All seven of Charlotte’s points to close out the half came at the charity stripe.
West Virginia kept its foot on the gas in the third frame, outscoring the 49ers 26-11, shooting an even 50% (8-of-16) from the floor for the second straight quarter. Harrison and fifth-year senior guard Jayla Hemingway were both 2-for-2 from beyond the arc in the quarter, helping WVU to a 29-point, 69-40, lead with 10 minutes to play.
WVU maintained its advantage in the fourth quarter, pushing the lead to a game-high 32 points with 3:09 to play. The effort propelled the Mountaineers to a 29-point victory. The result marks the second time this season WVU has won by 25 or more points.
The Mountaineers produced a season-high in both steals (20) and assists (22). WVU committed 27 fouls in the contest as Charlotte scored nearly half of its points (25) at the line.
West Virginia is back in action on Saturday, Nov. 25, against Southern Illinois. Tipoff against the Salukis’ is set for 10 a.m. ET, from the Coliseo Guillermo Angulo. Saturday's contest will be broadcast on FloHoops and the Mountaineer Sports Network.
Southern Illinois opened its time in San Juan on Thursday, with a 55-52 win over Charlotte. On Friday, the Salukis’ defeated George Washington 66-55.
Sophomore guard Jordan Harrison recorded her first double-double at West Virginia with a game-high 18 points and 10 rebounds. Fifth-year senior Lauren Fields finished just behind with 17 points and added eight steals. Fields’ 17 points pushed her over the 1,000 career points mark as her eight steals are tied for the fourth most all-time. It is the first time a player has reached eight steals in a game since 2021 when Kysre Gondrezick hit the mark against Oklahoma.
Junior guard Tirzah Moore was the final Mountaineer in double figures with 12 points and added four rebounds. Junior guard Kyah Watson collected a game-high six rebounds.
The win also marked 450 career wins for head coach Mark Kellogg across his 19 seasons.
The Mountaineers raced out to a 7-3 lead early, but Charlotte hung around, eventually taking the lead at 15-13 with two minutes to play. The 49ers pushed its lead to as many as four before a Fields three and a Moore free throw leveled the score at 18. Fields added a free throw of her own with 23 seconds to play in the quarter, briefly regaining the lead, but a Charlotte layup at the buzzer saw WVU trailing 20-19 after 10.
West Virginia took control of the contest during the second quarter, forcing the 49ers into 10 turnovers and just 1-of-7 from the field. WVU outscored Charlotte 24-9 in the quarter and made use of 12 points from the 49ers’ miscues.
WVU scored the first seven points of the quarter to take a 26-20 lead at the 7:37 mark. Charlotte hit its only field goal of the quarter moments later to pull back within four. West Virginia went on to a 17-7 scoring run to take a 49-29 lead into halftime. All seven of Charlotte’s points to close out the half came at the charity stripe.
West Virginia kept its foot on the gas in the third frame, outscoring the 49ers 26-11, shooting an even 50% (8-of-16) from the floor for the second straight quarter. Harrison and fifth-year senior guard Jayla Hemingway were both 2-for-2 from beyond the arc in the quarter, helping WVU to a 29-point, 69-40, lead with 10 minutes to play.
WVU maintained its advantage in the fourth quarter, pushing the lead to a game-high 32 points with 3:09 to play. The effort propelled the Mountaineers to a 29-point victory. The result marks the second time this season WVU has won by 25 or more points.
The Mountaineers produced a season-high in both steals (20) and assists (22). WVU committed 27 fouls in the contest as Charlotte scored nearly half of its points (25) at the line.
West Virginia is back in action on Saturday, Nov. 25, against Southern Illinois. Tipoff against the Salukis’ is set for 10 a.m. ET, from the Coliseo Guillermo Angulo. Saturday's contest will be broadcast on FloHoops and the Mountaineer Sports Network.
Southern Illinois opened its time in San Juan on Thursday, with a 55-52 win over Charlotte. On Friday, the Salukis’ defeated George Washington 66-55.
