In a Big 12 matchup on March 1, 2025, the West Virginia Mountaineers defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats with an impressive 85-69 win. West Virginia never trailed after knotting things up 5-5 on a JJ Quinerly layup with 6:58 left in the first. The win gave West Virginia yet another coast-to-coast win in its season finale.
Quinerly Shines Again
JJ Quinerly followed her career-high 38 on Wednesday with another 30-point performance. Quinerly poured in 24 points of her 31 in a first half that was all West Virginia. Quinerly shot 11-of-18 from the field and an impressive 3-of-6 beyond the arc. Quinerly not only put on a show with her scoring numbers, but she also totaled 7 assists and 7 rebounds.
What a Day to be Jordan!
Jordan Harrison had a big time showing today for the West Virginia Mountaineers, tallying 21 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 from three. Harrison also saw a plethora of her buckets come from the free-throw line, where she went 9-10, helping West Virginia maintain a sizable lead throughout the game. Jordan also stuffed the stat sheets in other categories, pitching in 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals, displaying her ability to affect multiple facets of the game.
West Virginia saw another Jordan have a big game off the bench. Jordan Thomas was a key contributor, scoring 16 points, including 7-of-10 shooting from the field. Her efficiency was impressive, partnered with her 8 boards, and helped give the West Virginia dominance in the paint.
Dominating the Boards
One area where West Virginia took it to the Bearcats was in the rebound differential. The Mountaineers won the rebound battle 47 to 29, with the offensive rebounds battle being 21 to 11. These offensive rebounding opportunities allowed West Virginia to score 28 second-chance points, a key factor in their dominant victory.
Hot Shooting Night Not Enough for Bearcats
Cincinnati saw 44.4% of their three-point attempts fall and saw its star player, Jillian Hayes, chip in 20 points and 8 rebounds. Hayes scored 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field. Cincinnati also saw key contributions from Tineya Hilton, who chipped in 15 points, knocking down 3-of-4 shots from beyond the arc. Both Hayes and Hilton are seniors who left it all on the court today for their Senior Night, but their valiant efforts weren’t enough for the swarming Mountaineers and their defense.
Looking Ahead for West Virginia
With a 13-5 conference record, they have placed themselves in an excellent position for a high seed in the Big 12 tournament, and possibly even the NCAA tournament. However, the Mountaineers will need to continue polishing their offense and defense as they prepare for tougher matchups down the stretch as March Madness is underway.
Great game reporting Kyle!