Behind 23 points from sophomore guard JJ Quinerly, the West Virginia University women’s basketball team (13-5, 4-3 Big 12) recorded a 62-55 victory over TCU inside Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday afternoon.
Quinerly led all scorers in the contest, as she tallied her 15th double-digit scoring game of the season, including her third 20-point performance this year. Redshirt sophomore guard Kyah Watson joined Quinerly in double figures, adding 10 points. Three players combined for 21 of WVU’s 37 rebounds, with Watson, junior forward Kylee Blacksten and senior guard Jayla Hemingway hauling in seven boards apiece.
As a team, West Virginia finished the game shooting 24-of-57 (42.1%) from the field, including 6-of-23 (26.1%) from 3-point range. The Mountaineers led the Horned Frogs in points in the paint (36-24) and points from turnovers (17-14). TCU shot 20-of-55 (36.4%) from the floor and 4-of-25 (16%) from beyond the arc.
The Mountaineers got out to an early, 5-2 lead, but then struggled shooting from the floor, as they allowed TCU to move out to a 9-7 advantage after a four-minute scoring drought to lead to the first-quarter media timeout. WVU snapped its scoring slump with a layup from Quinerly with 3:01 remaining in the opening frame. From there, the two teams stayed tight with West Virginia taking a narrow, 13-12 lead into the second quarter.
Fifth-year senior guard Sarah Bates got the scoring started for the Mountaineers in the second, connecting on a 3-pointer at the 8:57 mark. West Virginia then went on a 12-2 run to begin to build its lead over TCU, holding the Horned Frogs to just 4-of-11 from the floor in the second quarter. Despite a nearly three-minute scoring drought for WVU to close the frame, it took a 30-23 lead into halftime.
Opening the second half, West Virginia struggled to put together its offense, scoring only six points before the third-quarter media timeout. The two teams went on to trade buckets back and forth, but the Horned Frogs put the pressure on the Mountaineers and brought the score within three at the end of the third, 41-38.
Quinerly put the team on her back in the fourth, scoring seven of WVU’s nine points and going 3-of-3 from the field up to the media break. Although TCU tried to keep it close and fight from behind, the Mountaineers were able to outlast the Horned Frogs for the road victory.
With the win, West Virginia moves to 21-5 all-time against the Horned Frogs, including 9-3 in games played in Fort Worth. The Mountaineers swept the season series with TCU for the second straight season, as well as the fifth time in program history.
West Virginia now returns to Morgantown to square off against Texas for the first time this season, as the Longhorns come to the WVU Coliseum on Wednesday, Feb. 1. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the Mountaineer Sports Network, including 100.9 WZST-FM.