MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Dec. 18, 2023) – Junior guard JJ Quinerly produced a career-high 30 points to help the West Virginia University women’s basketball team sneak past Wright State, 77-72, on Monday morning inside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers found themselves in unfamiliar territory, trailing by as many as five points, 60-55, in the early stages of the fourth quarter. Six straight points at the foul line split by junior guard Tirzah Moore and fifth-year senior guard Jayla Hemingway, followed by a layup from senior forward Kylee Blacksten gave WVU a 61-60 lead with six minutes to play.
The Mountaineers and the Raiders traded baskets and the lead multiple times over the next three minutes. Quinerly went to the line and knocked down two free through to give WVU a 65-63 advantage. On the ensuing Wright State inbound, Quinerly’s career day came to an early end after picking up her fifth foul.
Tied at 69 with under three minutes on the clock, the Mountaineers forced four Wright State turnovers and limited the Raiders to just 1-of-5 from the floor. West Virginia outscored WSU 8-3 to close out the contest to collect the team’s 10th win. WVU outscored Wright State 22-12 over the final seven-plus minutes of action.
The 10 straight wins to open the season marks just the fifth time in program history the Mountaineers have hit the mark.
Quinerly scored 30 points in a game for the first time in her career, scoring over 20 points for the fifth straight contest. The Norfolk, Virginia native also added six steals for the second straight game.
Sophomore guard Jordan Harrison matched a season-high with 18 points, scoring in double figures for the eighth time this season. She added a team-leading five rebounds and two steals. Hemingway finished with 12 points, doing the bulk of her scoring at the charity stripe with 10 points. Eight of her points came in the fourth quarter alone.
Offensively, West Virginia (10-0) struggled from the floor, hitting just 22-of-56 (39.3%) of its shots. Wright State (6-5) shot 51.1% from the floor and was highlighted by Alexis Hutchison who finished with a game-high 37 points.
It marks the most points by an opposing player in a game since 2021.
Defensively, the Mountaineers forced 25 Wright State turnovers. It marks the ninth time WVU has forced an opponent into 21 or more turnovers this season. Additionally, WVU managed 30 points off DSU’s turnovers and tallied 11 steals.
The Mountaineers added a 32-26 advantage on the glass resulting in a 34-20 scoring advantage in the paint.
Next up, West Virginia plays host to Niagara on Thursday, Dec. 21, inside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown. The contest against the Purple Eagles is set for 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on Big 12 Now. Additionally, fans can listen to the game on the Mountaineer Sports Network.
The Mountaineers found themselves in unfamiliar territory, trailing by as many as five points, 60-55, in the early stages of the fourth quarter. Six straight points at the foul line split by junior guard Tirzah Moore and fifth-year senior guard Jayla Hemingway, followed by a layup from senior forward Kylee Blacksten gave WVU a 61-60 lead with six minutes to play.
The Mountaineers and the Raiders traded baskets and the lead multiple times over the next three minutes. Quinerly went to the line and knocked down two free through to give WVU a 65-63 advantage. On the ensuing Wright State inbound, Quinerly’s career day came to an early end after picking up her fifth foul.
Tied at 69 with under three minutes on the clock, the Mountaineers forced four Wright State turnovers and limited the Raiders to just 1-of-5 from the floor. West Virginia outscored WSU 8-3 to close out the contest to collect the team’s 10th win. WVU outscored Wright State 22-12 over the final seven-plus minutes of action.
The 10 straight wins to open the season marks just the fifth time in program history the Mountaineers have hit the mark.
Quinerly scored 30 points in a game for the first time in her career, scoring over 20 points for the fifth straight contest. The Norfolk, Virginia native also added six steals for the second straight game.
Sophomore guard Jordan Harrison matched a season-high with 18 points, scoring in double figures for the eighth time this season. She added a team-leading five rebounds and two steals. Hemingway finished with 12 points, doing the bulk of her scoring at the charity stripe with 10 points. Eight of her points came in the fourth quarter alone.
Offensively, West Virginia (10-0) struggled from the floor, hitting just 22-of-56 (39.3%) of its shots. Wright State (6-5) shot 51.1% from the floor and was highlighted by Alexis Hutchison who finished with a game-high 37 points.
It marks the most points by an opposing player in a game since 2021.
Defensively, the Mountaineers forced 25 Wright State turnovers. It marks the ninth time WVU has forced an opponent into 21 or more turnovers this season. Additionally, WVU managed 30 points off DSU’s turnovers and tallied 11 steals.
The Mountaineers added a 32-26 advantage on the glass resulting in a 34-20 scoring advantage in the paint.
Next up, West Virginia plays host to Niagara on Thursday, Dec. 21, inside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown. The contest against the Purple Eagles is set for 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on Big 12 Now. Additionally, fans can listen to the game on the Mountaineer Sports Network.
