MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's basketball team defeated Texas A&M, 83-62, on Friday inside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown.
 
West Virginia took a four-point lead into halftime but came out of the break to outscore the Aggies 27-7 in the third. The Mountaineer defense shined in the frame, forcing eight turnovers and limiting the Aggies to just a 3-of-9 mark from the floor. WVU caught fire offensively in the quarter, making five three-pointers and finishing the frame 10-of-15 from the floor.
 
The Mountaineers were efficient from beyond the arc, shooting at a 60 percent mark for the first time in a game since Dec. 13, 2020, against James Madison.
 
Senior guard JJ Quinerly led the Mountaineers' scoring effort for the second straight game pouring in 27 points after shooting 56 percent from the floor. She knocked down 4-of-5 three-point attempts, adding four assists and two steals.
 
Fifth year forward Kylee Blacksten knocked down a career-high five three-pointers to score 17 points. Junior guard Sydney Shaw was the final Mountaineer in double-figures with 12 points. It marks the fourth straight game the Miami, Florida native has hit double figures.
 
Junior guard Jordan Harrison managed the floor, dishing out eight assists to match a season-high. She added eight points, four rebounds and two steals. Senior guard Kyah Watson filled the stat sheet, recording game-highs in both rebounds (8) and steals (7). Her steals are a career-high as she added five points.
 
West Virginia jumped out to a 10-4 lead to the first media timeout. Blacksten had the hot hand during the run, knocking down two from beyond the arc. Quinerly had the other four points on a putback and two at the foul line. The Mountaineers pushed their lead to as many as 10 points, thanks to a Shaw corner three and four straight points from freshman forward Jordan Thomas. Texas A&M scored the quarter's final six points over the closing two minutes as WVU led 17-13 after the first.
 
The Aggies scored first, cutting the WVU lead to just two points. Leading 20-17 at the 7:39 mark, WVU strung together three straight scores to push their lead to nine points at the media timeout. Texas A&M outscored West Virginia 12-7 over the final five minutes to a 33-29 lead at the break.
 
West Virginia held the Aggies scoreless over the opening five minutes of the third quarter. On the offensive end, WVU also found a rhythm. The Mountaineers were 5-of-7 from the floor, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc to trigger a 14-0 run. West Virginia added another double-digit scoring spurt over the final five minutes, a 10-0 run before the Aggies hit a buzzer-beater three as time expired.
 
Texas A&M outscored the Mountaineers 26-23 in the fourth as WVU went on to win by 21 points. It marks the fourth time this season WVU has defeated an opponent by 20 or more points.
 
West Virginia finished the game with a 30-20 advantage on the glass, including a 13-5 mark in offensive boards. West Virginia led the category despite a size difference at nearly every position.
 
Of note, WVU is now 2-1 all-time in the series against Texas A&M and 1-0 in contests played at the WVU Coliseum. The Mountaineers have now run their nonconference home win streak to 32 games, dating back to the 2018-19 season. West Virginia is 13-24 all-time against the Southeastern Conference and is 8-2 in their last 10 meetings against teams from the conference.
 
Next up, West Virginia stays at home to face Bowling Green on Tuesday, Nov. 19, inside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown. The Mountaineers and Falcons are set to tip off at 7 p.m. ET.