Dec 23, 2024
WVU’s Jordan Harrison brings the ball upcourt. (Photo by BlueGoldNdews.com)
MORGANTOWN — After getting all they could have wanted through their early-season non-conference schedule, including a No. 14 national ranking, West Virginia’s women’s basketball team went on the road and dropped their Big 12 opener to Colorado, 65-60, blowing an 11-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
“It’s a gauntlet,” coach Mark Kellogg admitted, speaking of road play in the Big 12 as Colorado won at first asking in its return to membership in the league. “We expected this. It’s a grind. Every road game is brutal. If you can find wins on the road it’s gold. I always call it gold if you can find a road win.”
The Mountaineers seemed in control entering the fourth quarter, but there were warning signs all over the CU Events Center that the Buffaloes were sitting on a late stampede.
“I actually kind of liked us for three quarters. We held our own and defended,” Kellogg said
But he also noticed that something was amiss.
“We never really had the offensive rhythm, but I thought we had enough that we could carry it over into the fourth quarter, but their kids made shots and made plays. We probably weren’t tough enough in certain areas to win on the road against a quality team and a quality program.”
WVU neither had enough offense or defense to close it out.
Colorado went 9 of 11 from the floor in the fourth quarter, much of it coming by going right to the basket. The Mountaineers had no answers as they went 2 for 12 from the field as they were outgunned, 25-9, in the final quarter.
“They got to the rim. Then hit some 3s. Resistance is the term we use and I thought we lost our resistance on the ball,” Kellogg said. “We overhelped and they hit the two 3s [in the fourth quarter] then. We didn’t have resistance on the ball and they got what they wanted on the ball.”
Junior guard Jordan Harrison had a typical night for her with 19 points, five assists and four steals, but while All-American JJ Quinerly contributed 15 points she wasn’t her usual self.
“I didn’t think JJ ever got into any rhythm. That was the one we were trying to get going and we just couldn’t find a rhythm for JJ at all,” Kellogg said.
Quinerly hit just 4 of 12 shots and only 1 of 4 from 3 as the Mountaineers shot just 39.2% for the game.
The WVU defense did force 19 turnovers but it didn’t really slow Colorado, who hit 54.3% of its points from the floor.
“We didn’t turn them over a ton. I know it says 19, but I never felt like we got any easy points from those turnovers like we usually do,” Kellogg said.
“I thought in the half court we kind of lost our way. They made us pay. No. 14 [Jade Masogayo] killed us all night long. We tried different things and couldn’t answer. They didn’t hit many 3s but it felt like daggers and momentum changers when they did hit them.”
Masogayo had 18 points on 9 of 10 shooting and Frida Formann had 22 before fouling out late in the game. She kept Colorado in the game with 15 of those points in the first half.
“Colorado earned that with that fourth quarter run and we didn’t have the answer,” Kellogg said. “Let’s be honest. Momentum is a scary thing in our sport and it got on their side and we just couldn’t kill it. We couldn’t get any buckets or any stops in the fourth quarter.”
West Virginia returns to the floor when they welcome UCF to the Coliseum in the Big 12 Conference home opener on New Year’s Day. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
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