In a hard-fought battle, the West Virginia Mountaineers women’s basketball team come up short in its comeback attempt against TCU, losing 65-71. The game was a battle of two halves seeing TCU jump out to an early lead and West Virginia crawling back with a huge third quarter. Despite the strong second half from the Mountaineers, TCU outlasted West Virginia for a trip to the Big 12 Championship. Read more West Virginia falls short in Big 12 semi-finals matchup.
Standout Performers for West Virginia
West Virginia had strong individual performances from its starters, seeing four starters finish with double figures.
West Virginia saw another strong outing from its standout senior JJ Quinerly. Quinerly shot 8-of-19 from the field but struggled to get things going from beyond the arc finishing 0-of-3. Quinerly did have a strong performance from the free throw line shooting 4-of-5. Quinerly saw 40 minutes of action also tallying 4 rebounds, a steal and a block.
Sydney Shaw chipped in 11 points for the Mountaineers, logging 38 minutes. Shaw knocked down 2-of-3 three-point attempts. Shaw also tallied 7 rebounds, nearly doubling her season average.
Kylee Blacksten added another 11 points for West Virginia with some efficient shooting from the floor. Blacksten knocked down 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and 4-of-5 from the field. Blacksten’s shooting was crucial for the Mountaineers, specifically in the first half helping prevent the game from getting out of control.
READ WEST VIRGINIA HANDED FIRST LOSS OF SEASON
Jordan Harrison contributed 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in 34 minutes of action. Harrison put on display her versatility and helped West Virginia claw back into the game when things were going TCU’s way.
TCU’s Strong Performances
TCU was led by Hailey Van Lith, who delivered a big-time 19-point performance. Van Lith was efficient hitting 5-of-10 from the field and 2-of-5 from beyond the arc. She also tallied 8 assists and 6 rebounds to fill the stat sheet for the Horned Frogs. Van Lith was the unquestioned leader for TCU all season and that was on full display today.
Sedona Prince was another standout performer for the Horned Frogs scoring 18 points on 9-of-11 from the field. Prince was a dominant presence on the interior, finishing with 16 rebounds. Prince tallied 11 defensive and 5 offensive rebounds making her presence felt. Prince also added 2 blocks to her box score totals.
Madison Conner also had a solid outing for the Horned Frogs, scoring 16 points, including a hot shooting performance from three-point range. Conner connected on 5-of-12 from the field, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc.
Despite an off night for Donovyn Hunter (who scored just 5 points on 1-of-6 shooting), TCU’s overall depth and contributions from key players like Agnes Emma-Nnopu (who added 9 points) proved to be enough to secure the victory.
Keys to the Game
West Virginia got off to a slow start, only converting on 35.7% of field goal attempts in the first quarter and only 33.3% in second quarter. This start took place while TCU on the other hand shot 41.2% from field in the first quarter but followed that with a stellar 66.7% from field in the second quarter. TCU went into half with a 40-25 lead and looked to be in full control of the game.
The third quarter saw the Mountaineers come out with newfound energy dominating TCU 22-12 shooting 50% from the field and while holding TCU to only 36% from the field. West Virginia looked to use that momentum to mount an impressive comeback. In the fourth quarter we saw back and forth action and in the end, TCU prevailed cementing their spots in the Big 12 championship.
Final Thoughts
West Virginia’s effort was admirable, but they ultimately came up short against a TCU team that made timely plays down the stretch. The Mountaineers fought hard, with Quinerly and Shaw leading the charge, but TCU’s depth and key performances from Van Lith, Prince, and Conner proved to be the difference. As the regular season ends, West Virginia will look to build on their strengths and clean up areas like turnovers and defensive rebounding to be more prepared for NCAA Tournament matchups.
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READ WEST VIRGINIA HANDED FIRST LOSS OF SEASON
Jordan Harrison contributed 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in 34 minutes of action. Harrison put on display her versatility and helped West Virginia claw back into the game when things were going TCU’s way.
TCU’s Strong Performances
TCU was led by Hailey Van Lith, who delivered a big-time 19-point performance. Van Lith was efficient hitting 5-of-10 from the field and 2-of-5 from beyond the arc. She also tallied 8 assists and 6 rebounds to fill the stat sheet for the Horned Frogs. Van Lith was the unquestioned leader for TCU all season and that was on full display today.
Sedona Prince was another standout performer for the Horned Frogs scoring 18 points on 9-of-11 from the field. Prince was a dominant presence on the interior, finishing with 16 rebounds. Prince tallied 11 defensive and 5 offensive rebounds making her presence felt. Prince also added 2 blocks to her box score totals.
Madison Conner also had a solid outing for the Horned Frogs, scoring 16 points, including a hot shooting performance from three-point range. Conner connected on 5-of-12 from the field, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc.
Despite an off night for Donovyn Hunter (who scored just 5 points on 1-of-6 shooting), TCU’s overall depth and contributions from key players like Agnes Emma-Nnopu (who added 9 points) proved to be enough to secure the victory.
Keys to the Game
West Virginia got off to a slow start, only converting on 35.7% of field goal attempts in the first quarter and only 33.3% in second quarter. This start took place while TCU on the other hand shot 41.2% from field in the first quarter but followed that with a stellar 66.7% from field in the second quarter. TCU went into half with a 40-25 lead and looked to be in full control of the game.
The third quarter saw the Mountaineers come out with newfound energy dominating TCU 22-12 shooting 50% from the field and while holding TCU to only 36% from the field. West Virginia looked to use that momentum to mount an impressive comeback. In the fourth quarter we saw back and forth action and in the end, TCU prevailed cementing their spots in the Big 12 championship.
Final Thoughts
West Virginia’s effort was admirable, but they ultimately came up short against a TCU team that made timely plays down the stretch. The Mountaineers fought hard, with Quinerly and Shaw leading the charge, but TCU’s depth and key performances from Van Lith, Prince, and Conner proved to be the difference. As the regular season ends, West Virginia will look to build on their strengths and clean up areas like turnovers and defensive rebounding to be more prepared for NCAA Tournament matchups.