The No. 19 West Virginia Mountaineers (11-4, 21-6) host the Oklahoma State Cowgirls (10-5,21-7) at Hope Coliseum on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m.. With March on the horizon and the Big 12 Championship around the corner, both teams enter a marquee matchup.
West Virginia, led by head coach Mark Kellogg, enters the matchup off a 59-50 loss against then-No. 17 TCU, after surrendering a 20-2 at the beginning of the third quarter. During the game, the Horned Frogs held senior guard Jordan Harrison to zero points. One bright spot from the contest was how senior guard Sysney Shaw and redshirt junior Gia Cooke combined for 30 of WVU’s 50 points in a near comeback.
Oklahoma State, led by Jacie Hoyt, are coming off back-to-back wins, including a 75-65 win against then-No. 16 Texas Tech. In the game against Utah, the Cowgirls had five double-figure scorers, sparked by senior guard Miach Gray. Gray finished the game with 17 points, making five of her nine attempts from the field.
On the season, Oklahoma State has six players who average double figures making it difficult for defenses to key in on one player. In the backcourt alone, Gray, senior guard Haleigh Timmer and sophomore guard Jadyn Wooten average more than 12 points per game. WVU’s combination of Harrison, Shaw, and Cook could offset their production with their defensive abilities and scoring.
WVU’s defense currently sits No. 1 in turnovers forced per game (23.37), steals per game (11.8) and turnover margin (7.11). Overall, the Mountaineers have forced 631 total turnovers. On the opposing side, Oklahoma State has the No. 1 scoring offense in the Big 12 averaging 83.4 points per game.
Controlling the glass will also play a key factor in which team controls the pace for the game. Oklahoma State hauls in 38.5 team rebounds compared to WVU’s 36.3.
Graduate student forward Kierra “Meme” Wheeler and junior forward Carter McCray will play crucial roles helping to anchor the Mountaineers frontcourt. On the season, Wheeler and McCray have combined for 326 rebounds. Wheeler has also totaled six double-doubles on the season, showing she can not only score but can control the glass.
Oklahoma State’s combination of junior forward Achol Akot and junior guard Amari Whiting combat the physical presence of Wheeler and McCray. Akot and Whiting have combined for 367 total rebounds. Akot has two double-doubles on the season.
WVU Women’s Basketball tips-off against Oklahoma State on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and can be heard on U92 the Moose. Pregame will begin at 1:30 p.m. with Connor Roberts, Conor Bratchford, Brayden Laslo, and Aaron Pepling. Play-by-play Cody Burton and color commentator Brett Berner will have the call at 2 p.m.