Mountaineers Blast TCU for First Home Conference Win

Tuesday, January 10

Morgantown, W.Va.

7:00 p.m.

West Virginia University

11-4,2-2Big 12

TCU

6-9,0-4Big 12

TCU

West Virginia

Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks

January 10, 2023 10:38 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Season Stats Dawn Plitzuweit Postgame Madisen Smith Postgame Photo Gallery

By: Olivia Sneed

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Behind fifth-year senior guard Madisen Smith's 12th double-figure scoring performance of the season, the West Virginia University women's basketball team (11-4, 2-2 Big 12) defeated TCU, 77-45, inside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, on Tuesday night.

Smith led the team in scoring for the fifth time this season, recording 18 points and shooting 5-of-9 from the field (55.5%). She also added eight assists, as well as a pair of steals. Junior guard Savannah Samuel and sophomore guard JJ Quinerly joined Smith in double figures, adding 13 and 11 points, respectively. Senior guard Jayla Hemingway paced the Mountaineers with eight rebounts and also added five points.

As a team, West Virginia shot 45.3% (29-of-64) from the field, as well as 36.4% (8-of-22) from 3-point range. The Mountaineers led TCU in nearly every category, including turnovers forced (19-10), points in the paint (30-24) and bench points (34-13), while the two teams tied with 38 rebounds apiece.

Of note, Tuesday night's win marked the first home conference victory for first-year head coach Dawn Plitzuweit. The Mountaineers improved to 20-5 all time against the Horned Frogs, including 9-2 in games played in Morgantown. West Virginia has now won nine of its last 10 meetings with TCU, dating back to Feb. 24, 2016.

West Virginia got out to a hot start, jumping out to an early, 9-2 lead thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers by Smith. WVU continued its run and led by as many as 11 points before TCU was forced to call a timeout at the 4:23 mark. Holding the Horned Frogs to just four points in the opening quarter, the Mountaineers took a 17-4 lead into the second frame.

However, TCU found its rhythm in the second quarter, going on a 10-5 scoring run to open the period. After TCU brought the lead back down to single digits, Quinerly hit a triple to put WVU back up by 12, at 22-10. The Horned Frogs continued to cut into the Mountaineer lead, drawing the score as close as 26-23 in favor of WVU before the end of the half. Behind another 3-pointer by Smith and a pair of free throws from Smith and Hemingway, the Mountaineers took a 31-23 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Out of the break, West Virginia went 5-of-6 from the field to open the second half, as it jumped out to a 42-23 lead just before the midway point of the quarter. The Mountaineers outscored the Horned Frogs 26-7 in the third quarter and were led in scoring in the frame by Samuel. The Woodstock, Georgia, native shot 100% from the field and the free-throw line to net eight points. West Virginia moved to the final quarter with a 57-30 advantage over the visitors.

The final quarter saw the Mountaineers continue to build on their lead, as they once again outscored the Horned Frogs in the frame. TCU netted a pair of scores to open the quarter, but it was all West Virginia from there, with WVU shooting 4-for-5 on its first five attempts. The Mountaineer bench got in on the action also, as redshirt freshmen Messiah Hunter and Wynter Rogers tallied their first points of the contest to help WVU to its 32-point victory over TCU.

Also of note, TCU's four points in the first quarter tied for the fewest points allowed by the Mountaineer defense in a quarter this season. WVU also held USC Upstate to just four points in the first quarter of the 2022-23 season opener on Nov. 10, 2022.

Next up, West Virginia continues its two-game homestand on Sunday, Jan. 15, when it welcomes No. 18 Baylor to Morgantown. Tipoff against the Lady Bears is set for 3 p.m. ET, inside the WVU Coliseum. Sunday's contest will be broadcast on ESPNU and the Mountaineer Sports Network, including 100.9 WZST-FM. The game also is WVU's annual iBelong Game, as the Mountaineers celebrate diversity and inclusion across campus.