MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Feb. 24, 2024) –The West Virginia University women's basketball team battled to the end, falling 66-65, to No. 24 Baylor on Saturday afternoon, inside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers (22-5, 11-5 Big 12) trailed by as many as 12 points in the initial stages of the fourth quarter before taking a one-point lead into the final minute. The Mountaineers dominated a two-minute span late in the action, scoring 11 straight points to a 65-64 lead over the Bears with just a minute to play.
A late turnover by the Mountaineers allowed Baylor to attack, forcing WVU junior guard JJ Quinerly to commit her fifth foul of the game, sending the BU to the line with four seconds to play. Jana Van Gytenbeek cashed in on both free throws before sophomore guard Jordan Harrison drove to the rim and was blocked as Baylor grabbed the rebound to secure the victory.
West Virginia's scoring efforts were led by Quinerly, who finished with a career-high 33 points. She was joined in double figures by Harrison who added 16 points and added a team-leading five rebounds and three assists.
JJ Quinerly scored the Mountaineers opening eight points of the contest, adding two steals, with WVU trailing 7-6 at the midway point of the quarter. Harrison was fouled on back-to-back WVU possessions and knocked down four straight foul shots later in the frame to pull WVU back within one point. Tirzah Moore gave WVU the lead on a contested layup before a Fields steal and a Jayla Hemingway layup pushed the WVU to a 16-13 lead after the first.
The Mountaineers outscored the Bears 8-0 over the final minute, forcing the Bears into five turnovers during the run. Baylor coughed up 12 turnovers in the quarter, five of which were steals from a relentless WVU defense.
West Virginia extended the scoring run to 12 points out of the break to take a seven-point lead just 30 seconds into action. WVU managed that seven-point lead for most of the quarter, before Baylor pulled within one, 23-22, at the 3:04 mark. WVU quickly pushed its lead back to four before taking a 28-25 lead into the break.
The Mountaineers struggled in the third quarter, being outscored 25-14. WVU trailed 50-42 entering the final frame.
Also of note, Quinerly scored her 500th points this season to become the 28th player in program history to reach the mark. She is just the eighth junior to accomplish the feat.
Next up, West Virginia makes the trek to Stillwater, Oklahoma for its final road trip of the regular season on Tuesday, Feb. 27, to square off against Oklahoma State. Tipoff against the Cowgirls is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The Mountaineers (22-5, 11-5 Big 12) trailed by as many as 12 points in the initial stages of the fourth quarter before taking a one-point lead into the final minute. The Mountaineers dominated a two-minute span late in the action, scoring 11 straight points to a 65-64 lead over the Bears with just a minute to play.
A late turnover by the Mountaineers allowed Baylor to attack, forcing WVU junior guard JJ Quinerly to commit her fifth foul of the game, sending the BU to the line with four seconds to play. Jana Van Gytenbeek cashed in on both free throws before sophomore guard Jordan Harrison drove to the rim and was blocked as Baylor grabbed the rebound to secure the victory.
West Virginia's scoring efforts were led by Quinerly, who finished with a career-high 33 points. She was joined in double figures by Harrison who added 16 points and added a team-leading five rebounds and three assists.
JJ Quinerly scored the Mountaineers opening eight points of the contest, adding two steals, with WVU trailing 7-6 at the midway point of the quarter. Harrison was fouled on back-to-back WVU possessions and knocked down four straight foul shots later in the frame to pull WVU back within one point. Tirzah Moore gave WVU the lead on a contested layup before a Fields steal and a Jayla Hemingway layup pushed the WVU to a 16-13 lead after the first.
The Mountaineers outscored the Bears 8-0 over the final minute, forcing the Bears into five turnovers during the run. Baylor coughed up 12 turnovers in the quarter, five of which were steals from a relentless WVU defense.
West Virginia extended the scoring run to 12 points out of the break to take a seven-point lead just 30 seconds into action. WVU managed that seven-point lead for most of the quarter, before Baylor pulled within one, 23-22, at the 3:04 mark. WVU quickly pushed its lead back to four before taking a 28-25 lead into the break.
The Mountaineers struggled in the third quarter, being outscored 25-14. WVU trailed 50-42 entering the final frame.
Also of note, Quinerly scored her 500th points this season to become the 28th player in program history to reach the mark. She is just the eighth junior to accomplish the feat.
Next up, West Virginia makes the trek to Stillwater, Oklahoma for its final road trip of the regular season on Tuesday, Feb. 27, to square off against Oklahoma State. Tipoff against the Cowgirls is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.
