Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The West Virginia women’s basketball team won its third straight game Thursday night, dominating Georgia Tech 82-50 inside Hope Coliseum.
Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, but the Mountaineers pulled ahead 27-19 at the break. WVU exploded in the second half, scoring 30 points in the third quarter and 25 in the fourth, marking the sixth time this season the team has won by 30 or more points.
The Yellow Jackets defense held the Mountaineers to its fewest first-quarter points at home this season (13) and while holding WVU to 1-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc in the first quarter.
Junior guard Gia Cooke led four Mountaineers in double figures with 23 points. It was her fourth 20-point game of the season and her 10th straight contest in double figures. Senior guard Sydney Shaw added 18 points, and together they combined for seven of WVU’s nine three-pointers.
Senior guard Jordan Harrison contributed across the stat sheet with 16 points, six rebounds, six assists, and four steals — the first Mountaineer player to reach those numbers since JJ Quinerly in 2023. Graduate forward Kierra Wheeler recorded her third double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Defensively, WVU forced 28 turnovers and scored 42 points in the paint. The Mountaineers finished 31 of 71 from the field (43.7 percent), despite shooting just 27.5 percent in the first half.
“It might have been before that,” WVU coach Mark Kellogg said of deciding to pursue Cooke. “Obviously, when we got her committed and signed, we thought that we had a pretty talented player.”
Cooke, a transfer from Houston, has exceeded expectations.
“I think the system and the people around me help a lot with my confidence and believing in me,” she said. “Growth plays a part, as well. School after school, I think this school has definitely got a great support system around me to help me play at my highest [level].”
The Mountaineers opened the game on a 7-0 run before Georgia Tech responded. WVU led 13-6 after the first quarter despite being outrebounded 17-7 by the Yellow Jackets. Harrison led all scorers with nine points at halftime.
The third quarter was decisive and the Mountaineers went on multiple scoring runs, including a nine-point burst to push the lead to 36-21. Shaw hit three 3-pointers and Cooke added two of her own, giving WVU a 57-41 advantage entering the fourth. The Mountaineers outscored Georgia Tech 25-9 in the final quarter to seal the 32-point victory.
Two Yellow Jackets reached double figures — D’Asia Thomas-Harris with 14 points and Savannah Samuel with 13 — while Catherine Alben led the team with seven rebounds. Georgia Tech turned the ball over 28 times and managed just 15 free throws, well below their season average.
The Mountaineers improve to 9-2 and will close out nonconference play Sunday at Texas A&M. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET, before Big 12 play begins with a home game against Houston.
Photo Credit: Dale Sparks- All-Pro Photography- WVU Athletics
