WVU women’s basketball improved to 3-0 with a 94-40 blowout win over the Penguins on Sunday.
West Virginia was in full control from the beginning of the game, dominating possession and dictating the game in the opening half. West Virginia held their opponents to single digits in two quarters, outscoring them 27-9 in the first quarter and 30-6 in the third.
The Mountaineers opened the game on a 9-0 run and ended the first quarter on a 10-0 run. Jordan Harrison scored 10 of her game-high 16 points in the opening 10 minutes. On the game, Harrison was perfect, going 5 for 5 from the field, and making all three of her three-pointers, as well as sinking all three of her free throws.
The Mountaineers shot 77 percent from the field in the first quarter, and used that early momentum to help propel them the remainder of the game.
Harrison, along with JJ Quinerly, Lauren Fields, and Tirzah Moore all scored 10 points or more in the game. Harrison, Quinerly, and Fields also tied with Tavy Diggs in leading the team in assists with four.
Moore made her season debut for the Mountaineers, playing 15 minutes, adding 10 points and four rebounds. Moore is a transfer from Oral Roberts who was dealing with a foot injury who was sidelined for West Virginia’s first two games of the season.
Defensively, the Mountaineers made Youngstown State struggle to hold onto the ball, as the Penguins turned the ball over 21 times. Eight of those turnovers came directly from Mountaineer steals, with JJ Quinerly grabbing three steals herself in the game. Those 21 turnovers led to 28 points.
Dena Jarrells led the Penguins with 12 points on the afternoon, while they shot a combined 30 percent from the field, including making 21 percent of their three-pointers.
The 94-point outing had the most points scored in West Virginia’s three games by a considerable margin. Their other two games were both in the 70s, with the game against Pitt resulting in just a nine-point victory.
West Virginia has another significant break before their next game on Thursday, when they play George Washington. The game is the first of three in the San Juan Shootout weekend and tips off at 12:30 p.m.
