No. 23 West Virginia women’s basketball has been fueled by the play of JJ Quinerly.
After scoring a career-high 31 points in WVU’s hard fought win against Iowa State on Saturday, Quinerly backed it up with 26 points on Tuesday, as the Mountaineers dispatched UCF 84-43 at the WVU Coliseum.
West Virginia (18-2, 7-2 Big 12) welcomed the Knights who were coming off their first Big 12 win of the season over the weekend, while also welcoming the winningest coach in program history Mike Carey, who is an assistant on UCF’s coaching staff.
West Virginia’s defense ensured it was not a warm welcome. They turned up the pressure early and often, as UCF (10-9, 1-8 Big 12) turned the ball over on each of their first four possessions. WVU was equally sloppy on offense though, as the Mountaineers led 5-2 early as they turned the ball over five times within the first 5:31 of the game.
Things quickly turned in favor of the Mountaineers, as they used an 11-0 run to take a 14-2 lead and force UCF to call a timeout with 1:40 to play in the first quarter. WVU turned the Knights over nine times leading to 10 points for the Mountaineers.
In the second quarter, it was a carryover from the first. UCF scored four quick points, before Quinerly and company took over.
West Virginia went on a 14-0 run from the 8:37 mark until the 5:57 mark of the second quarter, expanding their lead to 32-8. Quinerly scored nine of those points, including the final seven of the run.
Quinerly had 16 points at halftime, going 6 for 8 from the field. UCF made only six baskets as a team, going 6 for 26 from the field and missing all seven shots from deep in the first half as WVU led 39-13 at halftime.
It was a tense start to the third quarter for the Mountaineers, as Mark Kellogg called for a timeout just 1:03 into the third. He seemed visibly upset with the way the team had played through the first minute, turning the ball over on offense on their first possession.
Out of the timeout though it was Quinerly who hit a mid-range and then connected on a three-point-play.
The third quarter would bring UCF’s best offensive output of the evening, as they made 50 percent of their shots as well as splitting their four attempts from deep. The Knights scored 18 points in the third quarter compared to WVU’s 23, with Quinerly leading the way with eight of those points.
Quinerly’s 26 points was the 11th time in 20 games she has reached the 20-point mark and the fourth time this season she’s scored at least 25. She was also very efficient, shooting 10-for-14 from the field.
Lauren Fields added 15 points for WVU on 5-for-10 shooting, while Jordan Harrison also reached double figures with 10 points. As a team, WVU shot 52 percent from the field, going 7-for-18 from three.
WVU forced a total of 22 turnovers, leading to 26 points. WVU has forced at least 20 turnovers in all but one game this season.
Up next for the Mountaineers is a trip out west to BYU. West Virginia continues to stay near the top of the Big 12 standings, while they won their fifth straight game against the Knights Tuesday. Tip-off for Saturday’s contest is set for 6:00 p.m., and the game will be televised on ESPN+.
