Kierra Wheeler's double-double helps No. 22 West Virginia women upend No. 14 Baylor 70-60
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1:12 PM on Sunday, February 1
The Associated Press
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Kierra Wheeler had 18 points and 15 rebounds, Jordan Harrison also scored 18 points, and No. 22 West Virginia defeated No. 14 Baylor 70-60 on Sunday.
The loss potentially knocked Baylor (19-4, 8-2 Big 12) out of first place in the Big 12 but the Lady Bears got good news later in the day when No. 21 Texas Tech defeated No. 12 TCU 62-60. Baylor and TCU remain tied for first place.
West Virginia extended a six-point halftime lead to 14 points late in the third quarter when Sydney Shaw hit a 3-pointer for a 47-33 lead. The Mountaineers allowed only three field goals in the third, one of them a buzzer-beating layup by Darianna Littlepage-Buggs that made it 47-37 heading to the fourth quarter.
A jumper by Wheeler had the Mountaineers up 53-39 with 7 1/2 minutes remaining, but Littlepage-Buggs drained a 3-pointer and a series of free throws by Taliah Scott and Bella Fontleroy had the Lady Bears within 53-48 a couple of minutes later.
Near the four-minute mark, Shaw nailed her second 3 of the quarter, Gia Cooke followed with a layup a minute later and West Virginia was up 60-49. The Mountaineers led by at least 10 points the rest of the game.
At one point late in the fourth quarter Baylor was 1-for-11 shooting but 9 for 11 at the free-throw line.
For the game, Baylor shot 30% from the field but made 27 of 32 free throws. Both Scott and Fontleroy made 9 of 10 free throws.
Cooke scored 14 points and Shaw added 10 for West Virginia (18-5, 8-3 Big 12).
Scott scored 18, Fontleroy 14 and Littlepage-Buggs 12 for Baylor.
Fifteen of West Virginia’s first 23 points followed Baylor turnovers.
Baylor: at Cincinnati on Wednesday
West Virginia: at Colorado on Wednesday
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