WVU Opens Big 12 Play Against Kansas
December 29, 2023 01:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's basketball team opens its 2023-24 Big 12 Conference slate on Saturday, Dec. 30, as the Mountaineers take to the road against Kansas inside Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence.
Tipoff against the Jayhawks is set for 1 p.m. ET. The contest against KU will be broadcast live on the Mountaineer Sports Network, including 100.9 WSZT-FM, with Andrew Caridi on the call.
Additionally, Saturday's game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now. Live stats and game notes will be available on WVUsports.com.
Saturday's contest marks the 25th all-time meeting between WVU (11-0) and KU (7-4). West Virginia leads the series, 17-7; as WVU also holds an 8-4 advantage when playing in Lawrence.
WVU has won 14 of the last 17 meetings with the Jayhawks, dating back to Feb. 10, 2015. That includes 10 consecutive unbeaten matchups from Feb. 10, 2015 - Feb. 27, 2021. Last season, Kansas claimed the first meeting, with a 77-58 win in Lawrence, before WVU bounced back to record a 62-60 victory in Morgantown.
Kansas enters Saturday's contest with a 7-4 record. What's more, KU has won its last four games, dating back to Dec. 6, against Houston Christian (79-57). The Jayhawks' four losses this season have come against the No. 6 UConn, No. 9 Virginia Tech, as well as Penn State and Texas A&M, who have been inside or receiving votes this season in the AP Top-25 Poll.
Kansas' roster features five players who are averaging double digits in scoring this season. The Jayhawks' offensive attack is led by S'Mya Nichols, who is averaging a team-high 14.0 points per game.
Nichols is joined in double figures by Taiyanna Jackson (13.1), Zakiyah Franklin (11.4), Holly Kersgieter (10.4) and Wyvette Mayberry (10.0). Additionally, Ana Llanusa is averaging 9.0 points per game for OU this year. Jackson nearly averages a double-double with 9.8 rebounds per game. The mark is the fourth best in the conference.
Nichols dishes out 2.8 assists per game to lead the Jayhawks.
Last time out, West Virginia defeated Niagara, 103-52, in Morgantown. The win marked the second time this season the Mountaineers have surpassed the 100-point mark. WVU was led in scoring by junior guard JJ Quinerly, who tallied 18 points, leading WVU for the sixth straight contest.
Quinerly (19.5), sophomore guard Jordan Harrison (13.6) and fifth-year senior guard Lauren Fields (10.5) pace WVU's offensive effort. The trio all average over 2.5 steals per contest. Quinerly's 3.4 steals per game is the best mark in the Big 12 and sits 11th best in the country.
Harrison has racked up 68 assists this season and is averaging 6.2 per contest which is the 20th-best mark in the nation and the third-best in the conference. Redshirt junior guard Kyah Watson is pacing WVU in rebounding, with 5.7 boards per game.
West Virginia's is averaging 15.4 steals per contest this season which is the best mark in the nation. Additionally, WVU forces 25.7 turnovers per game, the second most in the country,
WVU's 29.5-point win margin this season is the eighth-best mark in the nation. The Mountaineers add the third-best turnover margin in the country at 10.2.
Tipoff against the Jayhawks is set for 1 p.m. ET. The contest against KU will be broadcast live on the Mountaineer Sports Network, including 100.9 WSZT-FM, with Andrew Caridi on the call.
Additionally, Saturday's game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now. Live stats and game notes will be available on WVUsports.com.
Saturday's contest marks the 25th all-time meeting between WVU (11-0) and KU (7-4). West Virginia leads the series, 17-7; as WVU also holds an 8-4 advantage when playing in Lawrence.
WVU has won 14 of the last 17 meetings with the Jayhawks, dating back to Feb. 10, 2015. That includes 10 consecutive unbeaten matchups from Feb. 10, 2015 - Feb. 27, 2021. Last season, Kansas claimed the first meeting, with a 77-58 win in Lawrence, before WVU bounced back to record a 62-60 victory in Morgantown.
Kansas enters Saturday's contest with a 7-4 record. What's more, KU has won its last four games, dating back to Dec. 6, against Houston Christian (79-57). The Jayhawks' four losses this season have come against the No. 6 UConn, No. 9 Virginia Tech, as well as Penn State and Texas A&M, who have been inside or receiving votes this season in the AP Top-25 Poll.
Kansas' roster features five players who are averaging double digits in scoring this season. The Jayhawks' offensive attack is led by S'Mya Nichols, who is averaging a team-high 14.0 points per game.
Nichols is joined in double figures by Taiyanna Jackson (13.1), Zakiyah Franklin (11.4), Holly Kersgieter (10.4) and Wyvette Mayberry (10.0). Additionally, Ana Llanusa is averaging 9.0 points per game for OU this year. Jackson nearly averages a double-double with 9.8 rebounds per game. The mark is the fourth best in the conference.
Nichols dishes out 2.8 assists per game to lead the Jayhawks.
Last time out, West Virginia defeated Niagara, 103-52, in Morgantown. The win marked the second time this season the Mountaineers have surpassed the 100-point mark. WVU was led in scoring by junior guard JJ Quinerly, who tallied 18 points, leading WVU for the sixth straight contest.
Quinerly (19.5), sophomore guard Jordan Harrison (13.6) and fifth-year senior guard Lauren Fields (10.5) pace WVU's offensive effort. The trio all average over 2.5 steals per contest. Quinerly's 3.4 steals per game is the best mark in the Big 12 and sits 11th best in the country.
Harrison has racked up 68 assists this season and is averaging 6.2 per contest which is the 20th-best mark in the nation and the third-best in the conference. Redshirt junior guard Kyah Watson is pacing WVU in rebounding, with 5.7 boards per game.
West Virginia's is averaging 15.4 steals per contest this season which is the best mark in the nation. Additionally, WVU forces 25.7 turnovers per game, the second most in the country,
WVU's 29.5-point win margin this season is the eighth-best mark in the nation. The Mountaineers add the third-best turnover margin in the country at 10.2.
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