Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. – Gia Cooke helped No. 24 West Virginia defeat Northwestern 66-53 to remain undefeated on Friday evening at Colonial Hall at The Greenbrier.
Cooke scored a game-high 22 points with six rebounds and three assists.She scored her 1,000th career point.
The Mountaineers and the the Wildcats were locked in a close game before WVU used a 20-9 run in the fourth quarter to pull away.
The Mountaineers finished the game on a 15-2 run over the final 3:52 and held Northwestern without a field goal during the final 2:45.
Zahirah Walton had 16 points, six steals and three assists. Khyala Ngodu added 10 points and Skylar Forbes finished with seven points, six rebounds, three blocks and three steals.
WVU had a 36-30 lead at the half but the Wildcats chipped away and tied the game 38-38 midway through the third quarter. The Mountaineers took the lead behind baskets from Cooke and Ngodu and took a 46-44 edge into the fourth quarter.
Northwestern refused to go away and tied the game at 51 with 4:36 remaining. WVU answered with a 9-2 run, sparked by a putback from Divine Tumba, a transition layup from Walton and back-to-back baskets from Cooke, to take a 60-53 lead with 2:16 left.
The Mountaineers forced five turnovers over the final two minutes. WVU scored the final six points of the game and held the Wildcats scoreless over the final 2:45 to finish the game on a 15-2 run.
The Mountaineers forced 22 turnovers and had 15 steals. WVU had six blocks on the night.
Camdyn Nelson led Northwestern with 12 points. Casey Harter tallied 10 points, while Lily Carmody added nine.
The Mountaineers return to action Tuesday, Nov. 17, when they hosts Akron for Education Day. Tipoff is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET at Hope Coliseum.
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
