Box Score MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's basketball team extended its win streak to five games on Saturday afternoon, as the Mountaineers defeated Oklahoma State, 67-59, at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown.
 
Sophomore guard Kirsten Deans led the West Virginia scoring attack and finished with a team-high 18 points. Junior forward Kari Niblack and junior guard Madisen Smith also finished in double figures, each scoring 14 points. Sophomore forward Esmery Martinez led WVU in rebounding and tallied her seventh consecutive double-double, with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
 
"I'm very proud of the team," WVU coach Mike Carey said. "It would have been very easy for the team to fold when we went down 10, but they didn't. They showed a lot of determination to come back and win the game. I'm very proud of them."
 
After Oklahoma State corralled the opening tip, WVU took an early lead on a driving score by Deans. The two teams traded baskets over the next four minutes of the quarter, as the score remained tied. Smith then converted a layup and Deans followed up with another score to give the Mountaineers a four-point lead with just under three minutes to go in the quarter.
 
OSU's Natasha Mack converted a pair of baskets in the paint to tie the game just before the end of the period. Smith then converted an and-1 opportunity to put the Mountaineers back on top, but Oklahoma State fired right back with a 3-pointer to tie the game once again. Martinez helped WVU retake the lead just before the quarter ended with a pair of free throws.
 
Norris scored to make WVU's advantage four points to begin the second quarter, but Oklahoma State roared back offensively to take a three-point lead with just under seven minutes to go in the half. West Virginia responded with a trio of scores to reclaim the advantage just before the second media break.
 
The Mountaineers were held scoreless for the remainder of the quarter, as Oklahoma State scored twice more of the last four minutes of the period to take a three-point lead at halftime.
 
Following a quick score from the Cowgirls, Deans sank a 3-pointer to cut the OSU lead to two to begin the third quarter. Oklahoma State bounced right back and went on a 10-2 run over the next two minutes. With the Cowgirls up by 10 at the 6:24 mark of the third, WVU called a timeout.
 
West Virginia scored twice before the third-quarter media break to cut the deficit to single digits.
 
The Mountaineers continued to produce on the offensive end of the court following the media break, as Smith and Niblack scored six points to cut Oklahoma State's advantage to one point with 1:45 remaining in the third quarter. A late free throw by the Cowgirls allowed them to take a 45-43 lead into the final period.
 
Smith put the Mountaineers back on top by hitting a 3-pointer to begin the fourth, but Oklahoma State fired right back with four points to retake the lead. OSU held a two-point lead with 5:03 remaining in the game, but Deans once again scored in the lane to knot the score up at 52-52.
 
Junior guard Jasmine Carson followed a pair of WVU scores with a clutch 3-pointer at the 2:30 mark of the fourth quarter to help the Mountaineers take a six-point lead late in the game. Oklahoma State countered with a triple of its own, but the West Virginia offense continued to fire on all cylinders for the remainder of the contest. WVU scored seven more points to conclude the fourth quarter to secure an eight-point win over the Cowgirls.
 
In a game that featured six lead changes and eight ties, the Mountaineers led by as many as eight points with 43 seconds remaining in the game. The Cowgirls led by as many as 12 with 5:58 remaining in the third quarter.
 
West Virginia shot 25-of-55 (45.5%) from the field and made four 3-pointers. WVU held the advantage in points in the paint (32), second-chance points (10) and fast-break points (11). The Mountaineers assisted on 18 of their 25 made field goals.
 
Oklahoma State was led by guard Ja'Mee Asberry, who scored a team-high 24 points. Mack also finished in double figures, tallying 15 points, and hauled in a team-best 12 rebounds to record the double-double.
 
Next up, West Virginia welcomes Kansas State to Morgantown on Wednesday, Jan. 20. Tip-off against the Wildcats is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, from the WVU Coliseum. Wednesday's game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Nick Farrell, Meg Bulger and Anjelica Trinone on the call.