WVU (22-6, 12-4 in the Big 12) dominated Oklahoma State with a huge first half. The Mountaineers won 72-40 and led by 30 for most of the second half. WVU was lights out from behind the arc, making 42.9% of their three-point attempts. The victory helps put some distance between them and the fifth-ranked team in the Big 12, which is important for the conference tournament. The top four seeds receive a double bye and advance to the quarterfinals, which means more rest and fewer games needed to win the conference tournament. Read more: Sharpshooting lifts WVU past Oklahoma State.
First quarter
Sydney Shaw started the game with a three-pointer, which was common for the Mountaineers in this game. Jordan Harrison scored off a steal, and Gia Cooke added another three-pointer to give WVU an 8- 0 lead. lead. Achol Akot scored the first basket for Oklahoma State with a layup following a steal. Turnovers were a problem for the Mountaineers throughout the game, but they did not significantly hinder their performance.
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Carter McCray scored back-to-back buckets, which gave WVU its first double-digit lead. Kierra Wheeler followed with a jumper, and Gia Cooke made a layup after a Harrison steal. That gave WVU a 20-6 lead. Oklahoma State responded with a three-pointer from Micah Gray, but Cooke responded with one of her own. Haleigh Timmer made a three-pointer for the Cowgirls with over a minute remaining, and that was the final score of the period. WVU led 23-12.
Second quarter
Lena Girardi buried a three-pointer to start the second quarter, and it was the last time the Cowgirls had a single-digit deficit. Harrison answered with a three-pointer of her own. Makalusky followed it with a three-pointer off an offensive rebound by Sydney Woodley. That was the theme of the second quarter, as WVU shot six for eight from behind the arc.
Stailee Heard made a layup for the Cowgirls, which brought the score to 31-21. That was the closest Oklahoma State got for the rest of the game. Shaw nailed a three-pointer, and Cooke made one on the next possession. Cooke banked in her next three-point attempt, and that started a 12-0 run for WVU. Shaw ended the second quarter with a friendly roll on her three-pointer to give WVU a 49-23 lead at the break.
At the break
Gia Cooke led all scorers with 16 points in the first half. She made four of seven three-pointers. Harrison only had five points, but had six assists, three steals, and two rebounds. Wheeler had 10 points, with four rebounds and assists. WVU shot 66.7% from the field and nine of 16 (56.3%) from three-point land.
Oklahoma State did not have a player in double-digits in the first half, as Heard led the way with six points. She also had two rebounds, one assist, and two steals. Haleigh Timmer had five points and four rebounds, three of which were on offense. They only shot 30% from the field and 25% from deep.
Third quarter
The final two periods saw little scoring. Both teams combined for 40 total points in the second half, with only 18 in the third quarter. Wheeler provided the first scoring out of the locker rooms, with back-to-back baskets. Harrison added a layup after another steal, which gave WVU a 30-point lead.
Oklahoma State scored five consecutive points, including a Heard three-pointer. Harrison answered with a three-pointer, which brought the score to 58-28. The big news out of the game happened a couple of plays after that shot. Sydney Shaw dove for a loose ball and seemed to hit her head. She left the game and did not return to action, but she came back to the bench in the fourth quarter.
Gia Cooke also left the game in the third quarter but returned in the fourth. She also appeared to get hit in the head, but her return to the game is positive.
Fourth quarter
Oklahoma State won the fourth quarter, 12-10, but it was all but over by then. WVU led by 30+ points all quarter, and gave the starters a rest. Loghan Johnson made a three-pointer with about three minutes remaining, which were three of WVU’s eight bench points. WVU closed the game strong and won 72-40.
Top performers
- G. Cooke (WVU): 21 points/3 rebounds/2 assists/1 steal
- J. Harrison (WVU): 12 points/7 assists/3 rebounds/5 steals
- K. Wheeler (WVU): 18 points/10 rebounds/4 assists/1 block
- S. Heard (OSU): 13 points/8 rebounds/1 assist/2 steals/1 block
What’s next?
WVU returns to action against UCF on February 25 at 7 p.m. EST at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, Florida. They return to Morgantown for their final regular-season game on March 1 against Cincinnati. They will also honor the seniors on Senior Day.
All Mountaineer basketball games are broadcast across the John Fredericks Media Network. The game will air on 100.9 FM The Torch and its nine affiliate stations.
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