Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Sydney Shaw and Gia Cooke led the way as No. 15 West Virginia pulled away late to defeat Arizona State 67–54 in the quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament on Friday night at T-Mobile Center.
Shaw finished with a game-high 19 points and tied the program record for most 3-pointers in a Big 12 Tournament game with five. Cooke added 16 points, including a key three during a decisive fourth-quarter run that helped seal the victory for the Mountaineers.
WVU (25–6) used an 11–0 surge in the final minutes after the Sun Devils trimmed the lead to two early in the fourth quarter.
Marley Washenitz knocked down a 3-pointer to cap an 8–0 Arizona State run that cut the Mountaineer lead to 52–50 with 8:05 remaining. Shaw quickly answered with a three of her own to regain momentum for WVU. The Mountaineers continued to build from there, as Cooke added a putback and later drained a transition three to extend the lead.
Another Shaw triple pushed the advantage to 63–50 with 2:37 left, putting the game out of reach.
Jordan Harrison added 10 points, five assists and three steals for WVU, while Kierra Wheeler contributed seven points, eight rebounds, two assists and three steals.
The Mountaineers trailed 17–11 late in the opening quarter before closing the period on a 7–0 run. Celia Riviere’s layup with 32 seconds left gave WVU an 18–17 lead heading into the second.
The Mountaineers created separation early in the second quarter when Shaw sparked a 17–4 run with a 3-pointer on the opening possession. She added two more threes during the stretch while Riley Makalusky also connected from deep to help WVU build a 34–21 advantage with just over six minutes remaining in the half.
The Sun Devils cut the deficit to 39–30 by halftime and later pulled within 40–36 midway through the third quarter. The Mountaineers responded with an 8–2 push highlighted by back-to-back baskets from Harrison and a three-point play from Wheeler.
Washenitz led Arizona State (24–10) with 14 points while Heloisa Carrera added 10. Gabby Elliott finished with nine points after briefly leaving the game in the third quarter with an apparent knee injury before returning in the fourth.
With the win, WVU reached the 25-win mark for the third straight season, marking the first time in program history the Mountaineers have accomplished the feat in three consecutive years.
WVU advances to the Big 12 Tournament semifinals and will face either No. 3 Baylor or No. 6 Colorado on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
