The West Virginia Mountaineers’ 2024-25 campaign has come to an end. Their season concluded with a 58-47 loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the second round at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. This defeat put an end to their hopes of their first Sweet Sixteen appearance since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1994. North Carolina’s defense proved to be too much for the Mountaineers.
Game Overview
The matchup was an anticipated defensive battle, and it lived up to the hype. Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, with West Virginia shooting only 6-of-25 from the field and only 1-of-11 from beyond the 3-point arc. For the full game, West Virginia only managed to connect 24.1% of their field goal attempts. The Mountaineers’ defense effectively limited UNC’s scoring opportunities, but offensive inconsistencies hindered their ability to build a lead.
Related: West Virginia vs. UNC Women’s Preview
A pivotal moment occurred in the third quarter when North Carolina initiated a 9-0 run, shifting the game’s momentum. Alyssa Ustby was instrumental during this stretch, scoring 10 of her 21 points in the period, including a crucial three-point play that gave UNC a 42-35 lead. Utsby scored 16 of her 21 points in the second half. West Virginia struggled to recover, missing its first 11 shots in the fourth quarter, allowing the Tar Heels to maintain control.
Key Performances of the Game
For the first time all season, JJ Quinerly was held to single digits, scoring just eight points. Jordan Harrison was a key contributor for the Mountaineers, but only scored a team-high 10 points. Kyah Watson dominated the glass with 15 rebounds, but was held to nine points.
North Carolina saw three players score double figures. Alyssa Utsby led all scorers with 21 points. North Carolina also saw Lexi Donarski score 11 points and Reniya Kelly contribute 11 points. Between them, these three players came just four points shy of West Virginia’s team total of 47.
“Obviously, Ustby got us,” West Virginia coach Mark Kellogg said. “That was the matchup problem. We had one possession where there was four fouls, I think, all on her on the out of bounds. We had three or four different people trying to defend her. We tried man, tried zone. It was a little bit of a matchup problem.”
Why WVU Women’s Season Comes to an End
The biggest issue for the Mountaineers was simple: they didn’t make shots.
Kellogg said in his news conference, and he’s right, that you’re going to have a chance to win a lot of games when you hold your opponent to 58 points. You’re also going to lose a lot of games when you don’t shoot better than 24% from the floor.
That’s a good thing for the Mountaineers, because it’s an issue that can be fixed. Getting more consistent shooters to replace the spots vacated by graduation should be their top priority in recruiting and the portal. Defense is far harder to develop in top players, so West Virginia is a step ahead of where it is with basketball. Finding the right players for those spots will determine if the Mountaineers can make it back again next year.
If you want to check out highlights from this action check out the video below:
