Mountaineers' Effort Falls Short Against Cowgirls in a Close Encounter
The West Virginia Mountaineers, ranked 24th, faced off against the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in a conference game that ended with a score of 68-61. The Mountaineers now stand at an overall season record of 20-5, while the Cowgirls improved to 15-10. Despite a valiant effort by the Mountaineers, they were unable to secure victory at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The game was characterized by intense competition and several lead changes. The West Virginia Mountaineers started with energy but found themselves trailing after the first quarter with only 12 points against the Cowgirls' 16. They managed to keep up in the second quarter scoring an additional 14 points but still fell behind as halftime approached.
In terms of gameplay statistics, West Virginia showcased their defensive skills with five blocks and nine steals throughout the game. However, their offensive efforts were not as fruitful; they shot at a rate of only 38 percent from the field and struggled from beyond the arc with just six three-point shots made out of twenty-six attempts—a mere 23 percent success rate.
The third quarter saw an impressive rally from West Virginia as they scored a notable 22 points, yet it was not enough to surpass Oklahoma State's consistent performance which added another hefty sum of points to their lead. By contrast, both teams slowed down in scoring during the fourth quarter; however, this did not change the outcome for West Virginia who could only muster up another thirteen points before time ran out.
A key aspect where West Virginia excelled was in fast break situations where they accumulated eleven fast break points compared to Oklahoma State's two. Additionally, despite being slightly outrebounded by Oklahoma State (30 rebounds for WVU versus OKST's total rebound count), they fought hard under both baskets securing eleven offensive rebounds contributing significantly towards their twelve second-chance points.
West Virginia also demonstrated discipline avoiding any foul outs or ejections; however personal fouls did accumulate reaching twenty-three over four quarters which may have contributed to some challenges on court especially considering that free throws accounted for seventy-nine percent accuracy for them compared to eighty percent for OKST.
Looking ahead after this tough loss on foreign hardwoods, fans can look forward to supporting their team back home at WVU Coliseum when they face TCU Horned Frogs on March 2nd at noon local time (1 PM Eastern). This upcoming encounter will be available for viewing on ESPN+, allowing fans far and wide access to cheer on their beloved Mountaineers as they continue through this competitive season.