WVU guard Gia Cooke attempts a shot over a Rhode Island defender during the Mountaineers' season-opening win on Nov. 3, 2026. Credit: Santana Withrow/WV Sports Nation
The WVU Women’s Basketball team (1-0) continues its early-season homestand as it welcomes the George Washington Revolutionaries to Morgantown on Thursday. The Mountaineers will aim to build on a tough season-opening win, while GW seeks a marquee road win against a nationally-ranked opponent. Read more: WVU Mountaineers vs George Washington Revolutionaries Preview – November 5, 2026.
Tipoff
When: Thursday, November 5, 2026 @ 7:00 PM EST
Where: Hope Coliseum, Morgantown, WV
TV: ESPN+
WVU edged Rhode Island in its season opener
As expected, the game was close early, with the Mountaineers trailing 24-22 after the first quarter. WVU responded with a 17-6 surge in the second quarter to take a 39-30 lead into the break.
The Mountaineers appeared in control in the second half, extending their advantage to 17 points (60-43) with 6:28 remaining in regulation. However, the team’s offense stalled, missing eight of its next nine shots as the Rams went on a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to single digits.
After West Virginia struggled to seal the deal from the charity stripe, Rhode Island point guard Alex Newsome buried a three-pointer to cut it to 68-64 with 6.5 seconds left. The Mountaineers turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, but the road team’s 3-point attempt was off the mark at the buzzer, enabling West Virginia to hold on for the victory.
Despite the late-game scare, several players delivered solid performances. Gia Cooke led the way with a career-high 28 points on 8-for-17 shooting, along with three assists and two steals. Zahirah Walton added 12 points, making five of nine shots. Skylar Forbes led the rebounding effort with seven and contributed eight points.
George Washington put on a defensive clinic against the District of Columbia
Meanwhile, the Revolutionaries wasted little time putting the game away in their season opener. After jumping out to a 16-0 lead in the first 10 minutes, George Washington led by a comfortable 35-12 margin at intermission.
In the second half, it was more of the same. The Revolutionaries outscored the District of Columbia 26-5 in the third and 23-6 in the final frame for a decisive 84-23 victory.
GW held its opponent to 16 percent shooting overall and seven percent from 3-point range. Simply put, this promises to be a matchup between two teams that excel defensively.
WVU vs. George Washington: Who has the edge?
While George Washington’s defense was impressive in its opener, West Virginia has already shown it can respond to adversity against quality opposition.
If the Mountaineers can avoid the late-game mistakes that nearly cost them against Rhode Island, they should have a slight edge at home.
Prediction: West Virginia wins another close one
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James Tillman III has over 16 years of experience as a freelance sportswriter. James provided game recaps and general NBA news content in his early years. Over the past six years, he has transitioned to the betting landscape, offering previews/predictions across multiple sports, including the NBA, WNBA, and NFL. In addition to being a staff writer for the WVU site, James’ work has also been featured on sites such as Godzilla Wins, GiveMeSport, Latest Basketball News, and FanSided.
