WVU (18-5, 8-3 in Big 12) got another ranked win over No. 14 Baylor, 70-60. The Mountaineers’ defense set the tone at Hope Coliseum in Morgantown. They forced 30 turnovers and scored 38 points off turnovers. WVU also had 23 offensive rebounds and finished with 15 second-chance points. Kierra Wheeler stuffed the stat sheet for the Mountaineers, recording a double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds. The defense led the way to get another ranked win over a tough Baylor team. Read more: WVU’s defense propels them over No. 14 Baylor.
First quarter
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs scored the first points of the game, and the Bears followed with a three-pointer to take an early 5-0 lead. McCray got the Mountaineers on the scoreboard with a layup off an assist from Jordan Harrison. WVU made two consecutive trips to the free-throw line to cut the lead to one point. Harrison and Gia Cooke made both at the charity stripe.
Related: WVU suffers disappointing home loss against Baylor
The Mountaineers took their first lead of the game following back-to-back layups from Kierra Wheeler, 10-9. Turnovers were a problem for Baylor all game, and it started early. They had 10 in the first quarter, and WVU had three steals. Harrison and Cooke got back to the free-throw line following their own steals. Cooke converted an and-one layup, which was the final points of the first quarter. WVU took a 15-9 lead into the second quarter.
Second quarter
Cooke and Harrison scored back-to-back layups in the first two minutes of the second quarter to give WVU a 19-10 lead. Taliah Scott got the Bears back into the game after getting fouled on a three-point attempt. She made all three free throws and then nailed a three-pointer on Baylor’s next possession. Harrison responded with a driving layup to give WVU a 21-16 lead.
Sydney Woodley showed her defensive prowess on the following possession. She stole the ball and scored on the fast break. Yuting Deng knocked down a three, and Marcayla Johnson made a layup to pull Baylor within two points. Deng tied the game from the free-throw line, and Scott made a jumper to take a two-point lead. It only lasted a minute until Woodley tied the game with a put-back following an offensive rebound.
WVU had six offensive rebounds in the second quarter and finished with six second-chance points. Jordan Thomas contributed with an offensive rebound and layup with two minutes remaining. Harrison scored on a layup to give WVU a four-point lead. Wheeler finished the half with a put-back layup at the horn to give the Mountaineers a 31-25 lead at the break.
At the break
Jordan Harrison led WVU with 10 points in the first half. She also added three rebounds, two assists, and three steals. Gia Cooke had seven points, and Wheeler chipped in six with six rebounds. WVU did not make a three-pointer in the first half, but thrived off its defense. They forced 18 turnovers and had eight steals. They scored 21 points off turnovers. Offensive rebounds were also a significant factor. They had 12 in the first half, with eight second-chance points.
Taliah Scott had eight points in the first half for Baylor, with two steals. Yuting Deng had six points and two rebounds. The Bears shot 31.8% from the field and 27.3% from behind the arc. Turnovers were the biggest problem for the Bears in the first half.
Third quarter
Baylor started the third quarter strong, but West Virginia took over. Scott scored back-to-back buckets to cut the deficit to two points. WVU responded with a 6-0 scoring run, fueled by free throws. Shaw made one, and Wheeler knocked down two before a Cooke three gave WVU an eight-point lead.
Harrison nailed a three after a Littlepage-Buggs layup. She followed it with a layup after an offensive rebound by Wheeler to give WVU an 11-point lead. Three-pointers started falling for the Mountaineers in the second half, after they did not make one in the first. Shaw made one late in the third quarter to give WVU a 47-33 lead. Baylor scored the final four points of the quarter thanks to two free throws from Bella Fontleroy and a put-back layup from Littlepage-Buggs.
Fourth quarter
Shaw started the fourth quarter with a three-pointer, but received a technical foul after her celebration. Scott knocked down both free throws for Baylor. Littlepage-Buggs made a three-pointer with seven minutes remaining to make it 53-42. The Bears cut the deficit to five points after making six of seven free throws over two minutes.
Harrison regained control of the lead for WVU by getting to the line and making both. Shaw increased the lead to nine with four minutes remaining after knocking down another three-pointer. Cooke went coast-to-coast after a defensive rebound to get the lead back to double-digits for WVU.
Baylor shot 17 free throws in the fourth quarter, making 15 of them, but could not pull closer than five points. WVU coasted to a victory after making some free throws and grabbing essential rebounds in the final minutes of the game. The Mountaineers won 70-60 over No. 14 Baylor.
Top performers
- J. Harrison (WVU): 18 points/5 rebounds/3 assists/5 steals
- K. Wheeler (WVU): 18 points/15 rebound/3 assist/2 steals/1 block
- T. Scott (BAY): 18 points/3 steals/1 assist
- D. Littlepage-Buggs (BAY): 12 points/8 rebounds/1 assist/2 steals/1 block
What’s next?
WVU returns to action on February 4 against Colorado in Boulder, Colorado, at 9 p.m. EST. They return to Hope Coliseum on February 7 and 11 to play Arizona and UCF.
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.
Stay up to date with WV Sports Nation for more WVU Athletics coverage.
