WVU had a late lead against Ohio State but could not hold on in the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship game. Ohio State won 83-81 in a close game that included five lead changes. WVU had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds of the match after Sydney Shaw got fouled attempting a three-pointer. WVU is now 6-1 on the season with five games remaining in its non-conference schedule. Read more: WVU’s unbeaten run ends in the Bahamas vs. Ohio State.
WVU’s unbeaten run ends in the Bahamas vs. Ohio State
The game came down to the wire, and Sydney Shaw had a chance to tie the game with three free throws, but missed the first. She then was forced to miss the last after making the second to put the Mountaineers down two, and WVU could not grab the offensive rebound. It was a disappointing loss for the Mountaineers, who had an 11-point lead at one point and were up 74-66 with only four minutes remaining.
First half
The Mountaineers jumped out to a two-point lead after the first quarter and got a lot of points from their starting five. Gia Cooke and Kierra Wheeler led the way in the first half with eight points apiece. Cooke was two of eight from the field and made four of five free throws, which is not the efficiency head coach Mark Kellogg wants.
Related: WVU falls short to Clemson 70-67
WVU also struggled from behind the arc, only making two of 12 (16.7%) three-pointers in the first half. The Buckeyes made 33% of their threes, which was a big difference, as they took a two-point lead into the locker room at halftime. Turnovers were also a significant factor in the game, and the Mountaineers must fix those mistakes. They had 14 in the first half and 25 in the game.
Second half
The Mountaineers dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Buckeyes 30-22. Cooke scored nine of her 24 in the third, including five from the charity stripe. Wheeler also scored nine in the quarter, on her way to 19 in the game. She also recorded four rebounds in the quarter and had 14 in the game. It marks her second consecutive double-double. The downside is that she had eight turnovers in the game, while Harrison had five.
Big time play from Kierra Wheeler 👏
The And 1 play with a chance to tie it 🏀#BahaMarHoops | @BahaMarHoops | @WVUWBB pic.twitter.com/4umnd7Lpvt
— FloCollege | Basketball (@FloCollegeHoops) November 26, 2025
WVU’s eight-point lead with four minutes remaining, but it evaporated. Ohio State made two threes and a free throw to cut the lead to five before a pair of Harrison free throws. Bryn Martin made another three-pointer with just under three minutes remaining, and a layup following a Shaw turnover to cut the lead to two. Cooke made a layup to give WVU a four-point lead, but Ohio State made four free throws to tie the game at 79 with 47 seconds remaining. The Buckeyes finished the game on a 4-2 run to win the game 83-81. Shaw, an 86.7% free-throw shooter, missed the first of three free throws down three points.
Final analysis
Those are free throws Shaw has to make and can make, but it was not the reason they lost the game. WVU had 25 turnovers, while Ohio State only had 17. The turnover differential was the difference, with the Buckeyes getting more possessions. It is hard to beat a talented team with 20+ turnovers. WVU’s next game is Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. at home against Villanova.
