OWA CITY, Iowa (March 25, 2024) – The No. 8-seeded West Virginia University women’s basketball team lost to No. 1-seeded Iowa, 64-54, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa, on Monday.
West Virginia (25-8, 12-6 Big 12) nearly had an unprecedented 12-point second-half comeback, but it was unable to overcome the deficit as Iowa shot 14-of-17 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
A stout Mountaineer defense converted five Iowa turnovers into seven points in the first quarter. With relentless pressure and effective shooting, West Virginia led by as much as six before Iowa took its first lead of the game with three minutes remaining in the opening quarter.
The Hawkeyes used a 12-2 run to lead by five heading into the second quarter.
West Virginia battled in the second quarter despite only shooting 27% from the field. The Mountaineers trailed by as many as seven points, but an Iowa scoring drought that lasted nearly five minutes opened the door for a WVU rally.
WVU scored the final five points of the first half to cut Iowa’s lead to two at the half.
A 12-2 run ballooned Iowa’s lead to 12 in the first five minutes of the third quarter. However, the Mountaineers quickly responded with a 12-2 run of their own to only trail by two.
West Virginia scored its final basket of the run with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter. In those final two minutes of the third, Iowa rattled off eight straight points to push its lead to double digits at 48-38.
In the fourth quarter, West Virginia found momentum as it tied the game following a 10-0 run. It was the first time the two squads were tied since it was 13-13 with four minutes remaining in the first quarter.
It was a back-and-forth affair for two minutes as the Mountaineers tied it up two more times. However, a WVU scoring drought that lasted over two minutes sealed the win for Iowa as the Hawkeyes secured the win from the free-throw line.
Junior guard JJ Quinerly led the Mountaineers with 15 points. Junior guard Kyah Watson scored 13 points and senior Jayla Hemingway added 10 points.
West Virginia (25-8, 12-6 Big 12) nearly had an unprecedented 12-point second-half comeback, but it was unable to overcome the deficit as Iowa shot 14-of-17 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
A stout Mountaineer defense converted five Iowa turnovers into seven points in the first quarter. With relentless pressure and effective shooting, West Virginia led by as much as six before Iowa took its first lead of the game with three minutes remaining in the opening quarter.
The Hawkeyes used a 12-2 run to lead by five heading into the second quarter.
West Virginia battled in the second quarter despite only shooting 27% from the field. The Mountaineers trailed by as many as seven points, but an Iowa scoring drought that lasted nearly five minutes opened the door for a WVU rally.
WVU scored the final five points of the first half to cut Iowa’s lead to two at the half.
A 12-2 run ballooned Iowa’s lead to 12 in the first five minutes of the third quarter. However, the Mountaineers quickly responded with a 12-2 run of their own to only trail by two.
West Virginia scored its final basket of the run with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter. In those final two minutes of the third, Iowa rattled off eight straight points to push its lead to double digits at 48-38.
In the fourth quarter, West Virginia found momentum as it tied the game following a 10-0 run. It was the first time the two squads were tied since it was 13-13 with four minutes remaining in the first quarter.
It was a back-and-forth affair for two minutes as the Mountaineers tied it up two more times. However, a WVU scoring drought that lasted over two minutes sealed the win for Iowa as the Hawkeyes secured the win from the free-throw line.
Junior guard JJ Quinerly led the Mountaineers with 15 points. Junior guard Kyah Watson scored 13 points and senior Jayla Hemingway added 10 points.
