The No. 16-ranked West Virginia University women’s basketball team triumphed over Arizona State with a commanding 89-59 victory on Wednesday evening at Mullett Arena in Tempe. This historic win represents the program’s 900th all-time victory.
Key contributions from senior guard JJ Quinerly and fifth-year player Kylee Blacksten fueled the Mountaineers’ success, with both athletes surpassing the 20-point mark.
The pair combined for an impressive 17 of 30 shooting from the field while converting all 13 of their free throw attempts.
Quinerly led the game with 29 points, marking her third 29-point performance of the season, while Blacksten set a career-high with 24 points, only the second time in her career she has exceeded 20 points in a game.
Dominant Early Performance
West Virginia displayed offensive precision, shooting 50% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range.
They also excelled at the free-throw line, making 24 of 27 attempts. Junior guard Jordan Harrison added 11 points, a season-high eight assists, and six rebounds.
Junior guard Sydney Shaw contributed 10 points, while senior guard Kyah Watson collected 11 rebounds for her second consecutive game with double-digit boards. Watson also recorded four steals in the matchup.
The Mountaineers built momentum early, starting with a 10-point scoring burst ignited by reigning Big 12 Player of the Week Quinerly, who nailed consecutive three-pointers.
This early surge forced Arizona State into an early timeout, leaving the Sun Devils trailing by 12 points at the 6:25 mark.
By the end of the first quarter, West Virginia extended their lead with another dominant stretch, outscoring ASU 14-2 to take a 28-9 advantage.
Second-Half Surge
Arizona State narrowed the gap slightly in the second quarter, outscoring West Virginia 14-8 as the Mountaineers struggled offensively, converting only 3 of 13 field-goal attempts. Despite the slowdown, West Virginia held a 36-23 lead at halftime.
The third quarter saw Blacksten and Quinerly lead another charge, combining for nine points early on. West Virginia dominated the first five minutes of the half, hitting four field goals and forcing ASU into four turnovers and a 1-for-6 shooting stretch.
Free throws from Quinerly and Watson widened the gap to 25 points, and by the end of the quarter, the Mountaineers were firmly in control with a 63-38 lead.
In the final quarter, West Virginia secured its third 20-plus-point quarter of the game, outscoring ASU 26-21 to seal their ninth victory of the season by a margin of at least 30 points.
This win also marked their first road victory against the Sun Devils and improved their record in the all-time series to 2-0.
Quinerly’s 29-point performance elevated her to eighth place on West Virginia’s all-time scoring list with 1,708 points, trailing Hall of Famer Kate Bulger (1,733 points).
Additionally, she ranks fourth in career steals with 288, just seven shy of surpassing Hall of Famer Rosemary Kosiorek (293).
The Mountaineers will remain on the road for their next challenge, facing Arizona on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 8:30 p.m. ET in McKale Arena, Tucson, Arizona.
