Monday, December 1
Morgantown, W.Va.
7 P.M.
West Virginia University
6-2,0-0Big 12
59
vs
81
Villanova
6-2,0-0Big East
1
2
3
4
F
Villanova
28
20
20
13
81
West Virginia
17
18
16
8
59
Mountaineers Fall at Home to Villanova
December 01, 2025 09:47 PM | Women's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 25 West Virginia University women's basketball team lost to Villanova, 81-59, on Monday inside Hope Coliseum in Morgantown.
Junior guard Gia Cooke finished with 20 points in the contest to lead the Mountaineers. The effort marked the third straight game she has reached the mark. Graduate forward Kierra Wheeler finished the night with nearly her third straight double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds.
The Mountaineers struggled all night to find an offensive rhythm. WVU finished the contest shooting just 32.8% from the floor and knocked down just three of 10 from beyond the arc. The Wildcats, on the other hand, managed to tame the WVU press, coughing up just 14 turnovers while hitting 52.4% from the floor.
Villanova had the hot hand early, scoring on five of six attempts to open the game with a 10-4 advantage. The Wildcats extended their lead to 15-6 at the first media timeout. WVU struggled to gain a rhythm offensively, shooting just 2 of 10 from the floor over the opening five minutes. WVU fell behind by as many as 14 points in the frame before trailing 28-17 at the end of the first.
The Mountaineers fell behind by as many as 17 points in the second quarter. WVU chipped away, most of the work being done at the charity stripe, and then a Shaw three cut the WVU deficit to single digits at 40-31. West Virginia went into halftime trailing by 13 points at 48-35.
Villanova continued to push the pace in the second half, eventually extending its lead to as many as 24 points in the fourth quarter. The deficit is the largest of the season for the Mountaineers, and the first time they have trailed in a game by double-digits.
With the loss, West Virginia is 12-19 all-time against the Wildcats, including a 10-7 mark at home. The loss is the Mountaineers' first at home since the end of the 2023-24 season, snapping a 21-game home win streak.
Next up, West Virginia continues its road stand when it welcomes Mercyhurst to Morgantown. Tipoff inside Hope Coliseum is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
Junior guard Gia Cooke finished with 20 points in the contest to lead the Mountaineers. The effort marked the third straight game she has reached the mark. Graduate forward Kierra Wheeler finished the night with nearly her third straight double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds.
The Mountaineers struggled all night to find an offensive rhythm. WVU finished the contest shooting just 32.8% from the floor and knocked down just three of 10 from beyond the arc. The Wildcats, on the other hand, managed to tame the WVU press, coughing up just 14 turnovers while hitting 52.4% from the floor.
Villanova had the hot hand early, scoring on five of six attempts to open the game with a 10-4 advantage. The Wildcats extended their lead to 15-6 at the first media timeout. WVU struggled to gain a rhythm offensively, shooting just 2 of 10 from the floor over the opening five minutes. WVU fell behind by as many as 14 points in the frame before trailing 28-17 at the end of the first.
The Mountaineers fell behind by as many as 17 points in the second quarter. WVU chipped away, most of the work being done at the charity stripe, and then a Shaw three cut the WVU deficit to single digits at 40-31. West Virginia went into halftime trailing by 13 points at 48-35.
Villanova continued to push the pace in the second half, eventually extending its lead to as many as 24 points in the fourth quarter. The deficit is the largest of the season for the Mountaineers, and the first time they have trailed in a game by double-digits.
With the loss, West Virginia is 12-19 all-time against the Wildcats, including a 10-7 mark at home. The loss is the Mountaineers' first at home since the end of the 2023-24 season, snapping a 21-game home win streak.
Next up, West Virginia continues its road stand when it welcomes Mercyhurst to Morgantown. Tipoff inside Hope Coliseum is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
Team Stats
VU
WVU
FG%
.524
.328
3FG%
.400
.300
FT%
.778
.643
RB
34
40
TO
14
16
STL
11
4
Game Leaders
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's BasketballMark Kellogg | Villanova
Monday, December 01
Mark Kellogg | Appalachian State
Thursday, November 20
MeMe Wheeler & Gia Cooke | Appalachian State
Thursday, November 20
The Battle at the Greenbrier
Wednesday, November 19
