Sunday, February 1
Morgantown, W.Va.
1 P.M.
West Virginia University
18-5,8-3Big 12
70
vs
60
Baylor
19-4,8-2Big 12
1
2
3
4
F
Baylor
9
16
12
23
60
West Virginia
15
16
16
23
70
Mountaineers Topple No. 14 Baylor with Suffocating Defensive Effort
February 01, 2026 04:57 PM | Women's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's basketball team forced 30 Baylor turnovers and rode Kierra Wheeler's sixth double-double to a 70-60 upset win over No. 14 Baylor on Saturday afternoon in front of a packed crowd inside Hope Coliseum.
Wheeler posted a 18-point, 15-rebound double-double and anchored a relentless defensive effort that helped the Mountaineers (18–5, 8–3 Big 12) secure their third win over a ranked opponent this season. She added three assists and two steals. Wheeler is the first player to reach the stat line since Esmery Martinez during the 2022 season against Kansas State.
Jordan Harrison and Gia Cooke added 18 and 14 points, respectively, as WVU outscored the Bears 38–13 in points off turnovers. Harrison added five rebounds, five steals and three assists to fill the box score. Shaw was the final Mountaineer in double figures with 10 points on three makes from beyond the arc.
Baylor (19–4, 8–2) struggled all afternoon with West Virginia's pressure. Taliah Scott led the Bears with 18 points and went 9 of 10 at the free-throw line, while Bella Fontleroy scored 14 before fouling out. Baylor shot just 14 of 47 from the field but stayed within reach by converting 27 of 32 free throws.
After leading 31–25 at halftime, West Virginia surged ahead with a 14–6 run to open the third quarter. Harrison and Wheeler combined for nine points early in the period, and Sydney Shaw's late 3-pointer pushed the lead to 10 entering the fourth.
The Mountaineers maintained control from there. Shaw knocked down three early in the quarter, followed by a Harrison free throw and a Wheeler layup to push the WVU lead out to 14 points with three minutes gone. Baylor then scored nine straight points, the bulk at the charity stripe, to pull within five just before the final media timeout.
Shaw knocked down another timely three out of the break that spurred a 7-0 WVU run, pushing the lead back out to double figures with 2:30 on the clock. Wheeler scored six points in the final two minutes to put the game on ice.
West Virginia dominated the glass 45–32, including 23 offensive rebounds that led to 15 second-chance points. The Mountaineers also held Baylor to just eight points in the paint.
The 30 Baylor turnovers are the most by the Bears in a conference game in over 25 years. It marks the fifth time this season WVU has reached the mark and is the second time doing so in a conference game.
With the win, the Mountaineers have collected their third-ranked win of the season. It marks the second straight season hitting the mark and the 8th time in program history. The win is head coach Mark Kellogg's eighth-ranked win in three seasons at WVU. In the last three years, WVU is 8-13 when facing a team inside the AP top 25.
The Mountaineers are back on the road on Wednesday, Feb. 4, when they take on Colorado in Boulder. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUWBB on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Wheeler posted a 18-point, 15-rebound double-double and anchored a relentless defensive effort that helped the Mountaineers (18–5, 8–3 Big 12) secure their third win over a ranked opponent this season. She added three assists and two steals. Wheeler is the first player to reach the stat line since Esmery Martinez during the 2022 season against Kansas State.
Jordan Harrison and Gia Cooke added 18 and 14 points, respectively, as WVU outscored the Bears 38–13 in points off turnovers. Harrison added five rebounds, five steals and three assists to fill the box score. Shaw was the final Mountaineer in double figures with 10 points on three makes from beyond the arc.
Baylor (19–4, 8–2) struggled all afternoon with West Virginia's pressure. Taliah Scott led the Bears with 18 points and went 9 of 10 at the free-throw line, while Bella Fontleroy scored 14 before fouling out. Baylor shot just 14 of 47 from the field but stayed within reach by converting 27 of 32 free throws.
After leading 31–25 at halftime, West Virginia surged ahead with a 14–6 run to open the third quarter. Harrison and Wheeler combined for nine points early in the period, and Sydney Shaw's late 3-pointer pushed the lead to 10 entering the fourth.
The Mountaineers maintained control from there. Shaw knocked down three early in the quarter, followed by a Harrison free throw and a Wheeler layup to push the WVU lead out to 14 points with three minutes gone. Baylor then scored nine straight points, the bulk at the charity stripe, to pull within five just before the final media timeout.
Shaw knocked down another timely three out of the break that spurred a 7-0 WVU run, pushing the lead back out to double figures with 2:30 on the clock. Wheeler scored six points in the final two minutes to put the game on ice.
West Virginia dominated the glass 45–32, including 23 offensive rebounds that led to 15 second-chance points. The Mountaineers also held Baylor to just eight points in the paint.
The 30 Baylor turnovers are the most by the Bears in a conference game in over 25 years. It marks the fifth time this season WVU has reached the mark and is the second time doing so in a conference game.
With the win, the Mountaineers have collected their third-ranked win of the season. It marks the second straight season hitting the mark and the 8th time in program history. The win is head coach Mark Kellogg's eighth-ranked win in three seasons at WVU. In the last three years, WVU is 8-13 when facing a team inside the AP top 25.
The Mountaineers are back on the road on Wednesday, Feb. 4, when they take on Colorado in Boulder. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUWBB on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Team Stats
Baylor
WVU
FG%
.298
.343
3FG%
.278
.278
FT%
.844
.850
RB
32
45
TO
30
21
STL
8
13
Game Leaders
Pts
18
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Pts
18
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballMark Kellogg,Jordan Harrison & Meme Wheeler | Baylor
Sunday, February 01
WVU Medicine Playbook | Baylor Preview
Thursday, January 29
Jordan Harrison | Jan. 27
Thursday, January 29
Mark Kellogg | Jan. 29
Thursday, January 29
