Following a 69-56 home loss to No. 24 Texas, the WVU women’s basketball team returns to action at Oklahoma on Saturday.
West Virginia (14-6, 5-4 Big 12) struggled offensively against the Longhorns, as only two players reached double figures for the Mountaineers, with Sarah Bates leading the way with 12 points off the bench. JJ Quinerly added 11 points, but stars Jayla Hemingway and Madisen Smith combined for only 13 points while shooting just 4-for-12 from the field.
“Texas is a very good program and I thought they did some things that really frustrated us on both ends of the court,” head coach Dawn Plitzuweit said after the loss. One of those things that may have frustrated Plitzuweit and her group would be the rebounding on Texas’s end. The Longhorns outrebounded the Mountaineers 39-25 and had 10 more second chance opportunities after grabbing 14 offensive rebounds.
As the Mountaineers move forward, they will not have much time to dwell on the loss to Texas, as the 17-4 Oklahoma Sooners await them in Norman.
Oklahoma (17-4, 7-3 Big 12) is among the best in the Big 12, and the Sooners have already proven that to the Mountaineers this year. WVU and Oklahoma met in Morgantown on New Year’s Eve and the Sooners made quick work of the Mountaineers, dropping them by the score of 98-77.
West Virginia could not stop, nor slow down Oklahoma in the first matchup, as the Sooners had two 20-point scorers, with Ana Llanusa leading the way with 28 points while shooting an impressive 11-for-13 from the field and 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
While the Mountaineers will have to worry about Llanusa filling it up from long range, their attention will also go to another three-point shooter. Not just any strong three-point shooter, but the NCAA Division 1 record holder for most career three-pointers, Taylor Robertson. Robertson broke the distinguished NCAA record against Iowa State just five days ago and now looks to extend that record. Against WVU in the first matchup, Robertson was the Sooners’ third leading scorer with 18 points, all of which coming from beyond the arc.
Another scoring threat for the Sooners will be guard Madi Williams. Williams is averaging 16.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Williams scored 24 points and pulled down five rebounds against the Mountaineers in Morgantown, and she also scored 26 points against both Oklahoma State and TCU.
In order for West Virginia to have a chance against this seemingly stacked backcourt, the Mountaineers will need to have a better day rebounding than against Texas. WVU guards Jayla Hemingway, JJ Quinerly, and Madisen Smith will need to apply the defensive pressure they have shown over the course of their careers, but if these talented Oklahoma shooters have an off night, everyone will need to pitch in and rebound.
Despite Oklahoma’s spectacular shooting night against the Mountaineers in December, the Sooners still crashed the boards at a better rate, picking up 30 rebounds compared to WVU’s 19. WVU forwards Kylee Blacksten and Kyah Watson combine for nearly 10 rebounds per game on the season, so they will need to help the guards out in keeping the Sooners away from second and third chance opportunities.
The Mountaineers and Sooners will square off on Saturday, February 4, from the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. and the action can be viewed on ESPN+.
