Box Score MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's basketball team bounced back from Thursday's loss to No. 7/7 Baylor in dominant fashion, as the Mountaineers defeated James Madison, 85-54, on Sunday evening, at the WVU Coliseum, in Morgantown.
 
In the win, sophomore forward Esmery Martinez recorded her third double-double of the season, grabbing 21 boards and posting 11 points. With her second 20-plus rebounding performance of the year, the Hato Mayor Del Ray, Dominican Republic, native becomes the first Mountaineer to record multiple 20-plus rebounding games since Olivia Bradley notched six during the 1984-85 season.
 
Redshirt senior Kysre Gondrezick once again led the way in scoring, netting 15 points in the contest. She was one of five Mountaineers to finish in double-figures, as sophomore guard Kirsten Deans (13), junior guard Madisen Smith (13), Martinez (11) and junior guard Jasmine Carson (10) also reached 10-plus points.
 
"We came out and shot the ball in the first half and got close to (being) up by 40," WVU coach Mike Carey said. "Then, it got really sloppy. We started doing a lot of substituting. We gave up too many offensive rebounds and turned it over too much. Other than that, I thought we shot the ball pretty well. We did go inside a lot more than we have been, so I was happy to see that. I was just told (sophomore forward) Esmery (Martinez) had 21 rebounds. That was the first time since the 1984-85 season that a women's basketball player has done that, so that's great. Olivia Bradley was the last woman to do it. Esmery is a big-time rebounder. She'll continue. She is only a sophomore, so she'll continue to make records."
 
The two teams were quiet to start the contest, but the Dukes were the first to score with a point from the free-throw line. However, Deans responded with a 3-pointer to put West Virginia on the scoreboard. Martinez netted her first points of the contest after missing a jumper and gathering her own rebound for the putback layup. The Mountaineers and the Duke were tied at 5-5 midway through the first.
 
WVU took control of the lead following a jumper and a pair at the line from Deans, before Martinez fought for another second-chance layup for a 12-7 WVU lead at the 4:27 mark of the first quarter. The Mountaineers forced three JMU turnovers to score a trio of baskets and increase their lead, taking a 24-13 advantage into the second quarter.
 
Junior forward Kari Niblack was the first to score for West Virginia in the second frame, fighting for a layup before Smith got a basket of her own for 28-13 advantage. Smith, Deans and sophomore guard Jayla Hemingway each added a 3-pointer, giving Hemingway her first Mountaineer triple and WVU a 41-19 lead. The 3-pointers opened up a 19-9 Mountaineer scoring run, sending WVU to the locker room with a 50-24 advantage. West Virginia finished the first half shooting 19-of-32 (59.4%) from the field, including 4-of-5 (90%).
 
The first points of the second half came from Niblack, as she scored in the lane. Deans then added a layup and drew a shooting foul, converting at the line to complete the three-point play. The same then happened for Smith, as she also converted the and-1 for a 60-29 WVU lead at the 2:56 mark of the third quarter. Carson then got on the board with a pair of 3-pointers, and West Virginia took a commanding 70-34 lead into the final quarter.
 
To open the fourth, redshirt sophomore center Rochelle Norris went 1-of-2 from the line, before Hemingway grabbed the offensive rebound and scored on a putback. Martinez secured her third double-double of the season with 5:35 remaining in the contest, as West Virginia rolled to an 85-54 win over James Madison.
 
West Virginia finished the night shooting 30-of-63 (47.6%) from the field and 6-of-10 (60%) from behind the arc. James Madison struggled against the WVU defense, shooting 22-of-72 (30.6%) from the floor and 5-of-26 (19.2%) from 3-pont range.
 
The Mountaineers held an advantage in nearly every category, outrebounding the Dukes, 55-35, and holding a 42-24 advantage in points in the paint. West Virginia's bench also was hot in the contest, scoring 29 points.
 
The Mountaineers depart for their first Big 12 road contest, as they travel to Oklahoma State on Dec. 18. Tipoff at Gallagher-Iba Arena, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is set for 7 p.m. ET, on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.