West Virginia (9-2) concluded their non-conference play at the West Palm Beach Invitational with a dominating 82-51 win over Miami (OH).
The Mountaineers got off to a 10-0 run to start the game, with all 10 points coming from JJ Quinerly, who also added three steals during the run.
Ivy Wolf would finally stop the bleeding for Miami, scoring their first points of the game with 3:39 left in the first quarter, but West Virginia would not allow a slip-up, ending the first quarter up 19-5.
West Virginia did not allow a made shot in the quarter, with all of Miami’s points coming from the free throw line. The Mountaineers would use an 11-3 run over the first 4 minutes of the second quarter to take a 23 point lead at 30-7, their largest advantage of the game.
Free throws by Peyton Scott for Miami would get the lead down to 14 with 1:23 remaining in the half. A Kylee Blackstein free throw and a Danni Nichols jumper brought West Virginia up 17, the number the Mountaineers entered the half at.
Miami made inroads on West Virginia’s lead in the third quarter, getting the lead back into single digits at the 3:19 mark of the quarter on two more Peyton Scott free throws. A 8-4 WVU run to end the quarter would have the Mountaineers up 57-44 heading into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter is where WVU would play their best basketball of the afternoon. After trading baskets for the first few minutes of the quarter, the Mountaineers would not allow a point for the final 5:23 of the game, closing the game on a 14-0 run.
West Virginia shot 50% from the floor for the game, while allowing Miami to only 32%. West Virginia also had 48 points in the pain and got 36 points from their bench.
WVU turned the ball over only 5 times in the game, while forcing 17 Miami turnovers, leading to 21 points off those turnovers.
Danni Nichols once again led the Mountaineers in scoring with 17 points. Madisen Smith and Kyah Watson both finished with 13, while Tavy Diggs and JJ Quinerly rounded out the Mountaineers in double-figures with 12 each.
West Virginia will now head toward Big 12 play, with their first game set on New Years Eve against No. 23 Oklahoma.
Photo by Aaron Parker
