Sunday, January 4
Manhattan, Kan.
2 P.M.
West Virginia University
13-2,3-0Big 12
60
at
58
Kansas State
8-8,1-2Big 12
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2
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F
West Virginia
11
17
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60
Kansas St.
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58
West Virginia Outlasts Kansas State in Second Straight Road Win
January 04, 2026 04:55 PM | Women's Basketball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The West Virginia women's basketball team finished off its two-game road trip with its third conference win after narrowly escaping Kansas State 60-58 to move to a perfect 3-0 in conference play.
The Mountaineers and the Wildcats were tied with just over two minutes to play as WVU finished 7 of 8 from the foul line in the fourth to preserve its perfect conference record.
West Virginia used a strong paint presence as Graduate forward Kierra Wheeler finished with her fifth double-double of the season. She managed 18 points and 10 rebounds. Junior forward Carter McCray finished in double figures for the second straight game with 15 points, and she added eight rebounds. Junior guard Gia Cooke added 12 points to round out the Mountaineers in double figures. Senior guard Jordan Harrison finished with a season high 10 assists, marking the third time she has reached the mark as a Mountaineer.
The Mountaineers dominated the paint, scoring 28 points inside, and moved the ball effectively with 21 assists on 22 field goals. Despite committing 24 turnovers, WVU's defense held firm, limiting Kansas State to 20 points in the paint and forcing 16 turnovers.
The Mountaineers trailed the Wildcats 31-28 at halftime. WVU struggled with ball control in the opening 20 minutes, coughing up 15 turnovers. Kansas State scored 14 points off the Mountaineers' miscues in the half, while the usually opportunistic Mountaineers forced just eight turnovers and had zero points from their opponents' mistakes.
K-State maintained a five-point lead in the third quarter until the 4:12 mark of the frame. A Shaw three spurred on the Mountaineers to a 7-0 run as a Cooke layup leveled the score at 39 before two at the line from Harrison gave WVU its first lead since the first quarter. Wheeler went to work in the final minute of the third, scoring a back-to-basket layup and a midrange corner jumper to give WVU a 45-41 lead.
The Mountaineers extended their lead to 51-44 to the seven-minute mark before an 8-0 Kansas State's scoring run gave the Wildcats a 52-51 lead with just under four minutes to play. McCray cashed in on one at the charity stripe and Cooke added two to level the score at 54 with two minutes to play.
At the 1:29 mark, McCray converted a layup off an assist from Harrison, giving the Mountaineers a 56-54 advantage. Kansas State responded when Tess Heal sank two free throws with 1:01 remaining to even the score at 56.
Following a timeout, West Virginia regained the lead when Cooke delivered a clutch jumper in the lane with 19 seconds left, assisted again by Harrison, pushing WVU ahead 58-56. After a Kansas State turnover, Harrison was fouled and calmly hit two free throws with seven seconds remaining to extend the margin to a two-possession game.
Kansas State managed one final score, but it was not enough as West Virginia secured the 60-58 victory when time expired on the ensuing inbound.
Next up, West Virginia returns home to take on No. 21 Texas Tech inside Hope Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. West Virginia and Texas Tech are the only two remaining undefeated teams in Big 12 Conference play.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUWBB on X, Instagram and Facebook.
The Mountaineers and the Wildcats were tied with just over two minutes to play as WVU finished 7 of 8 from the foul line in the fourth to preserve its perfect conference record.
West Virginia used a strong paint presence as Graduate forward Kierra Wheeler finished with her fifth double-double of the season. She managed 18 points and 10 rebounds. Junior forward Carter McCray finished in double figures for the second straight game with 15 points, and she added eight rebounds. Junior guard Gia Cooke added 12 points to round out the Mountaineers in double figures. Senior guard Jordan Harrison finished with a season high 10 assists, marking the third time she has reached the mark as a Mountaineer.
The Mountaineers dominated the paint, scoring 28 points inside, and moved the ball effectively with 21 assists on 22 field goals. Despite committing 24 turnovers, WVU's defense held firm, limiting Kansas State to 20 points in the paint and forcing 16 turnovers.
The Mountaineers trailed the Wildcats 31-28 at halftime. WVU struggled with ball control in the opening 20 minutes, coughing up 15 turnovers. Kansas State scored 14 points off the Mountaineers' miscues in the half, while the usually opportunistic Mountaineers forced just eight turnovers and had zero points from their opponents' mistakes.
K-State maintained a five-point lead in the third quarter until the 4:12 mark of the frame. A Shaw three spurred on the Mountaineers to a 7-0 run as a Cooke layup leveled the score at 39 before two at the line from Harrison gave WVU its first lead since the first quarter. Wheeler went to work in the final minute of the third, scoring a back-to-basket layup and a midrange corner jumper to give WVU a 45-41 lead.
The Mountaineers extended their lead to 51-44 to the seven-minute mark before an 8-0 Kansas State's scoring run gave the Wildcats a 52-51 lead with just under four minutes to play. McCray cashed in on one at the charity stripe and Cooke added two to level the score at 54 with two minutes to play.
At the 1:29 mark, McCray converted a layup off an assist from Harrison, giving the Mountaineers a 56-54 advantage. Kansas State responded when Tess Heal sank two free throws with 1:01 remaining to even the score at 56.
Following a timeout, West Virginia regained the lead when Cooke delivered a clutch jumper in the lane with 19 seconds left, assisted again by Harrison, pushing WVU ahead 58-56. After a Kansas State turnover, Harrison was fouled and calmly hit two free throws with seven seconds remaining to extend the margin to a two-possession game.
Kansas State managed one final score, but it was not enough as West Virginia secured the 60-58 victory when time expired on the ensuing inbound.
Next up, West Virginia returns home to take on No. 21 Texas Tech inside Hope Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. West Virginia and Texas Tech are the only two remaining undefeated teams in Big 12 Conference play.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUWBB on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Team Stats
WVU
KState
FG%
.478
.417
3FG%
.214
.375
FT%
.813
.667
RB
34
22
TO
24
16
STL
4
12
Game Leaders
Pts
18
FGM
9
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
15
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballMark Kellogg, Jordan Harrison & Carter McCray | Texas Tech
Wednesday, January 07
WBB Texas Tech Playbook
Tuesday, January 06
Meme Wheeler | Jan 6
Tuesday, January 06
Gia Cooke | Jan. 6
Tuesday, January 06
