WVU trailed 36- 35 heading to the locker room at halftime, but came back to beat Kansas 79-72. The Mountaineers are 2-0 in the Big 12 and 12-2 overall as they begin the new year. Gia Cooke led the Mountaineers with 24 points and did most of her work from behind the arc. WVU is not finished with business in Kansas, as they play Kansas State in Manhattan on Sunday at 2 p.m. Eastern. Read more: WVU dominates second half in victory over Kansas.
WVU dominates second half in victory over Kansas
WVU struggled to score early in the contest, only scoring 14 points in the first quarter. Kansas beat them in the paint, scoring eight of their 19 first-quarter points there. Lead changes were abundant in the second and third quarters, but there were none in the opening and final quarters. WVU led by six after the third quarter and never looked back, despite struggling for the final five minutes of the game. They only scored four points in the final five minutes, while Kansas tallied 13.
First half
The first quarter was slow for WVU after a short layoff. They made five of 13 (38.5%) and three of eight (37.5%) three-pointers. They also had seven personal fouls in the quarter, which was a problem for the entire game. Kansas shot lights out for the whole of the first half. They made 54.5% of field goals in the first quarter and 50% in the half. The Jayhawks also shot 66.7% from three in the first half, making four of six. The three-pointer was the real difference in the first half for WVU. They made six of 13 (46.2%), and had two from three players. Gia Cooke, Sydney Shaw, and Riley Makalusky knocked down two apiece in the first half, with Gia Cooke leading the way with nine points.
Second half
The second half was a different story for the Mountaineers. They started hot and did not cool down until the final five minutes. Carter McCray was the most consistent player for the entire game. She tallied 16 points, which is her season-high. She also played 34 minutes, the most for her all season. McCray finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.
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WVU had two players foul out. Jordan Harrison and Kierra Wheeler played only 25 minutes each before fouling out and did not contribute as much as usual. Harrison had eight points, while Wheller finished with three. Harrison did add six assists and three steals, but could not find her rhythm from behind the arc. Cooke and Shaw led the way in the second half, scoring 15 and 10 points, respectively. Shaw finished with 18 in the game, making four threes, and adding three blocks and steals.
Final analysis
The 11-day layoff showed in the first quarter, but the Mountaineers responded well in the final three quarters. They got hot, making 48% and nearly doubling Kansas’ seven. The real difference in the game was turnovers and blocks. WVU had five more steals and five fewer turnovers than Kansas. They also had seven blocks to the Jayhawks’ one. WVU is off to a good start in conference play and faces a lesser team on Sunday in the 8-7 Kansas State Wildcats.
