Box Score MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's basketball fell to No. 14/14 Texas, 67-58, on Sunday afternoon, at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown.
 
In a game that was tied eight times and saw the lead change over nine times, WVU outscored UT in the first and third quarters, but 22 points in the second and 15 in the fourth by the Longhorns proved to be the difference in the game.
 
Of note, West Virginia (11-13, 4-10 Big 12) held Texas (19-6, 9-5 Big 12) without a make from 3-point range in the game, marking the first WVU has held its opponent without a 3 since Kansas State on Jan. 26, 2019. UT finished the game 0-for-1 from deep.
 
The Mountaineers were led by junior forward Esmery Martinez, who tallied a team-high 13 points. She was joined by senior guard Madisen Smith, who finished the contest with 10 points. Martinez and fifth-year senior center Blessing Ejiofor each hauled in six rebounds to tie for the team lead on the glass.
 
"We couldn't keep their point guard out of the paint," WVU coach Mike Carey said. "When we were in front of her, she just shot over us. They didn't hit a 3. All their shots were inside in the paint, just shooting over our smaller guards."
 
After Texas turned it over on the opening position, Martinez tacked on the first score of the game and gave WVU an early lead. The Longhorns then countered with a score on their end of the floor, and the two teams commenced to trade baskets. After UT retook the lead at the 7:30 mark of the first, Martinez sank a 3-pointer to reclaim the advantage with 6:20 to go in the opening quarter. Texas netted a score before the first media break, when West Virginia trailed, 10-9.
 
The two teams played even out of the timeout, but a last-second score by senior forward Kari Niblack helped WVU take a 15-14 lead over UT heading into the second quarter.
 
West Virginia fell behind by two to begin the second quarter, as Texas opened the frame on a 4-0 run. After cutting the Longhorns' lead to two, an intentional foul was assessed on UT's Lauren Ebo with 7:24 to play in the first half. Senior guard Madisen Smith would sink a pair at the free-throw line to tie the game up at 18-18.
 
Following the foul, WVU and Texas traded until 5:01 to go in the quarter, when the Longhorns converted an and-1 to go up 24-22. The Mountaineers countered with a 4-0 run, which gave them the lead again. West Virginia called a timeout with 3:02 remaining in the half, after a pair of UT free throws tied the game.
 
Sophomore guard Savannah Samuel scored out of the break, but a 10-0 run by Texas closed out the half and put WVU behind, 36-28, at halftime.
 
The Mountaineers and Longhorns played even to begin the second half, as West Virginia kept the game within eight points. Samuel scored just before the third-quarter media break to cut WVU's deficit to 42-36.
 
Including a 3-pointer from freshman guard JJ Quinerly, West Virginia outscored Texas, 7-4, coming out of the timeout and cut the deficit to three points. Following a score from each team, the Longhorns tacked on four free throws over the final 1:09 of the quarter to increase their lead. WVU trailed UT, 52-45, heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Ejiofor began the final 10 minutes with a tally at the stripe, but four points by Texas put West Virginia behind by 10 with 7:26 to play. A 3-pointer by Smith, followed by a score from Martinez, cut WVU's deficit to 56-51 at the final media timeout.
 
The Longhorns got back up by 11 following the break, as the Mountaineers were forced to claw their way back for the remainder of the game. WVU cut its deficit to as few as seven points over the final three minutes of the game, but ultimately, Texas cashed in on its opportunities down the stretch to seal the win.
 
West Virginia finished the game shooting 23-of-49 (46.9%) from the field and sank a trio of 3-pointers in the game. The Mountaineers scored 36 of its 58 points in the paint and assisted on 13 of its makes. Defensively, WVU blocked six shots.
 
Next up, West Virginia hits the road for the fifth time in the last seven games, as the Mountaineers travel to Lubbock, Texas, on Wednesday, Feb. 23, to square off against Texas Tech. Tipoff against the Lady Raiders is set for 8 p.m. ET. Wednesday's contest will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.