Wednesday, November 26
Nassau, The Bahamas
1:30 P.M.
West Virginia University
6-1,0-0Big 12
81
vs
83
Ohio State
5-1,0-0Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
West Virginia
17
14
30
20
81
Ohio St.
15
18
22
28
83
West Virginia Falls Short of Ohio State
November 26, 2025 04:37 PM | Women's Basketball
NASSAU, The Bahamas – The West Virginia University women's basketball team dropped its first game of the season, 83-81, to Ohio State on Wednesday in the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship game.
For the first time this season, the Mountaineers finished a game with more turnovers than they were able to force. WVU finished with 25 turnovers to OSU's 17 in a game that came down to the final possession.
Junior guard Gia Cooke finished with 24 points for the second straight game to lead the Mountaineers. Cooke was named to the All-Tournament team for her effort. She finished the week with 48 points across the two games.
Graduate Kierra Wheeler finished with her second straight double-double, scoring a season-high 19 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. The effort marks the first time since 2022 that a player has reached the stat line. Senior guards Jordan Harrison and Sydney Shaw also finished in double figures with 13 points. Harrison added four assists while Shaw managed six rebounds.
The Mountaineers jumped out to a 9-0 lead on a perfect 4 of 4 mark from the floor. Harrison led the way with four points on driving layups as Shaw opened the game with a corner three and Wheeler finished in the paint. WVU would push its lead to as many as 11 points, at 13-2, at the six-minute mark.
WVU lost its offensive rhythm the rest of the way, scoring just four more points, all at the charity strip. OSU cut the Mountaineer lead down to just two points at the first break.
Ohio State leveled the score twice over the opening minute of the second before a deep Shaw three and two at the foul line from Cooke gave WVU a 26-21 lead with 6:18 on the clock. The pair traded baskets over the next three minutes before OSU closed the half on a 7-1 run to take a 33-31 lead at the break.
Cooke and Wheeler led the offensive charge for WVU as the pair finished with eight points. Wheeler also grabbed six rebounds and Shaw added four of her own.
The Mountaineers trailed by six points for most of the third period. WVU outscored OSU 15-2 over the final two minutes of the quarter to lead 61-55 with 10 to play.
Ohio State leveled the score at 63 over the opening three minutes of the fourth. WVU would take charge of the middle part of the quarter, outscoring Ohio State 11-3 to an eight-point, 74-66 lead at the media timeout.
The Buckeyes chipped away, eventually pulling even again with under a minute to play. Cooke connected on a free throw to give WVU its final lead of the game at 80-79 with 36 seconds on the clock. Ohio State took an 83-80 lead with three seconds to play before WVU added its final point at the line with six-tenths of a second remaining.
Next up, West Virginia returns home to take on Villanova on Monday, Dec. 1. Tipoff inside Hope Coliseum is set for 7 p.m. ET.
For the first time this season, the Mountaineers finished a game with more turnovers than they were able to force. WVU finished with 25 turnovers to OSU's 17 in a game that came down to the final possession.
Junior guard Gia Cooke finished with 24 points for the second straight game to lead the Mountaineers. Cooke was named to the All-Tournament team for her effort. She finished the week with 48 points across the two games.
Graduate Kierra Wheeler finished with her second straight double-double, scoring a season-high 19 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. The effort marks the first time since 2022 that a player has reached the stat line. Senior guards Jordan Harrison and Sydney Shaw also finished in double figures with 13 points. Harrison added four assists while Shaw managed six rebounds.
The Mountaineers jumped out to a 9-0 lead on a perfect 4 of 4 mark from the floor. Harrison led the way with four points on driving layups as Shaw opened the game with a corner three and Wheeler finished in the paint. WVU would push its lead to as many as 11 points, at 13-2, at the six-minute mark.
WVU lost its offensive rhythm the rest of the way, scoring just four more points, all at the charity strip. OSU cut the Mountaineer lead down to just two points at the first break.
Ohio State leveled the score twice over the opening minute of the second before a deep Shaw three and two at the foul line from Cooke gave WVU a 26-21 lead with 6:18 on the clock. The pair traded baskets over the next three minutes before OSU closed the half on a 7-1 run to take a 33-31 lead at the break.
Cooke and Wheeler led the offensive charge for WVU as the pair finished with eight points. Wheeler also grabbed six rebounds and Shaw added four of her own.
The Mountaineers trailed by six points for most of the third period. WVU outscored OSU 15-2 over the final two minutes of the quarter to lead 61-55 with 10 to play.
Ohio State leveled the score at 63 over the opening three minutes of the fourth. WVU would take charge of the middle part of the quarter, outscoring Ohio State 11-3 to an eight-point, 74-66 lead at the media timeout.
The Buckeyes chipped away, eventually pulling even again with under a minute to play. Cooke connected on a free throw to give WVU its final lead of the game at 80-79 with 36 seconds on the clock. Ohio State took an 83-80 lead with three seconds to play before WVU added its final point at the line with six-tenths of a second remaining.
Next up, West Virginia returns home to take on Villanova on Monday, Dec. 1. Tipoff inside Hope Coliseum is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Team Stats
WVU
OSU
FG%
.482
.475
3FG%
.235
.455
FT%
.697
.750
RB
38
28
TO
25
17
STL
7
14
Game Leaders
Pts
19
FGM
9
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
1
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballMark Kellogg | Appalachian State
Thursday, November 20
MeMe Wheeler & Gia Cooke | Appalachian State
Thursday, November 20
The Battle at the Greenbrier
Wednesday, November 19
Greenbrier Tipoff | Postgame
Saturday, November 15
