Box Score MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's basketball team secured its 11
th straight victory to open the season on Thursday afternoon, defeating Niagara, 103-52, at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers scored over 100 points for the second time this season and the 26
th time in program history. It is the first time since the 2017-18 season WVU has eclipsed 100 points twice in a season.
The win caps off a perfect nonconference record, marking just the sixth time in program history the Mountaineers have accomplished the feat. It is also just the fourth time WVU has been 11-0 to open a season.
The Mountaineers saw five players contribute double-digit efforts to their scoring attack, including junior guard
JJ Quinerly, who tallied a game-high 18 points. The Norfolk, Virginia, native also tallied five assists and four steals.
Quinerly was joined in double figures by sophomore guard
Jordan Harrison (14), fifth-year senior's
Lauren Fields (14),
Jayla Hemingway (13) and
Tavy Diggs (10). Harrison led the way with seven assists.
Junior guard
Tirzah Moore paced WVU on the glass by tallying a game-high nine rebounds and added four steals. Redshirt junior
Kyah Watson finished with a game-high five steals, the most in her career, and added eight rebounds.
Defensively, West Virginia forced 32 Niagara turnovers, the most this season, and tallied 25 steals. The steals are the most in a single game since WVU forced 27 against North Carolina Central during the 2011-12 season. The Mountaineers cashed in 39 points off the Purple Eagles miscues.
The Mountaineers also controlled the paint, scoring a season-high 66 points from the high percentage area.
Niagara scored the opening basket in the game before the Mountaineers forced five straight turnovers and three steals to jump out to an 8-2 lead with three minutes gone. NU pulled back within three points on its next possession but an 11-0 Mountaineer run, capped off by a Hemingway corner three, pushed the WVU advantage to 19-5 with four minutes to play.
West Virginia continued to push the pace in the quarter, outscoring Niagara 11-2 over the final three minutes to a 32-13 advantage. The Mountaineers recorded nine steals, tying the program quarter record, while forcing 12 Purple Eagle turnovers.
The Mountaineers opened the second quarter with seven straight points, extending its run to 16-0, to take a 26-point, 39-13, lead at the 7:19 mark. Niagara hit its first shot in six minutes of game time moments later to end the run.
WVU outscored the Purple Eagles 23-10 in the quarter to take a 55-23 lead into the break. West Virginia forced NU into 18 turnovers in the half to create 27 points off the mistakes.
West Virginia controlled the third frame despite Niagara scoring the opening basket of the frame. The Mountaineers used a 16-2 run over six minutes to take a commanding 44-point lead with 3:51 to play. The Mountaineers outscored the Purple Eagles 8-7 over the final minutes of the quarter to a 79-34 lead.
The Mountaineers outscored Niagara 24-18 in the final frame to secure the win.
West Virginia finished the game shooting 38-of-69 (55.1%) from the field and netted 18 second-chance points. The Mountaineers also assisted in 21 of their 38 makes. What's more, five WVU players finished the game with multiple assists and seven finished with multiple steals.
Also of note, the Mountaineers have won 28 straight nonconference games at the WVU Coliseum dating back to the 2019 season.
Next up, West Virginia returns to action on the road against Kansas on Saturday, Dec. 30, inside Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. The contest against the Jayhawks opens the Mountaineers Big 12 schedule and is set for 1 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on Big 12 Now. Additionally, fans can listen to the game on the Mountaineer Sports Network.
