Box Score KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The No. 6-seeded West Virginia University women's basketball team fell to No. 3 Kansas State at the 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, 65-62, inside the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
 
Jordan Harrison provided a late spark for the Mountaineers, scoring seven straight points for WVU in the final minutes to pull WVU within striking distance. Kylee Blacksten and JJ Quinerly each had contested 3's across the final 15 seconds of play but both failed to connect to force overtime.
 
The Mountaineers (24-7) were paced by junior guard JJ Quinerly who finished with 27 points and added four rebounds and two steals. It marked the 15^th time this season she has finished with 20-plus points.
 
Sophomore guard Jordan Harrison finished with 16 points while senior forward Kylee Blacksten finished with eight. Additionally, redshirt junior guard Kyah Watson added seven rebounds, five steals and three assists.
 
West Virginia dominated over the Wildcats throughout the first quarter, which was kicked off by a steal and layup by Quinerly on the opening possession. A pair of threes from Quinerly and Blacksten set off the Mountaineers' 13-2 run, giving WVU the 21-9 advantage at the 4:29 mark. West Virginia outlasted a 6-0 late run from the Wildcats, taking the first quarter, 23-17.
 
Kansas State responded in the second quarter, leaving West Virginia scoreless until the 7:31 mark. K-State outscored the Mountaineers 17-8, taking a 34-31 lead into halftime.
 
The Wildcats controlled the tempo throughout the third quarter, utilizing an 8-3 run to shut down the West Virginia offense until the 5:20 mark. Leading WVU with nine points, Quinerly led a late offensive push to pull West Virginia within one, at 49-48, heading into the final quarter.
 
Both teams exchanged points throughout the fourth, as the Mountaineers only shot 38.5 (5-13) from the field. A late slew of points from Harrison pulled WVU within two points with just under three minutes to play. It was as close as the Mountaineers got, falling 65-62.
 
As a team, WVU shot 39% (21-of-54) from the floor and connected on just 8-of-21 tries from beyond the arc. The Wildcats were more effective from the floor, shooting at 57.4 percent. Ayoka Lee proved to be the difference, recording a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
 
With the result, West Virginia moves to 18-9 all-time against Kansas State and 3-2 in games played on a neutral floor. WVU is now 12-10 all-time in Big 12 tournament play.
 
Next up, West Virginia will await the NCAA Tournament selection show on Sunday, March 17 which will air on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET.