JJ Quinerly's career-high 38 points lifts No. 18 West Virginia over Utah 75-46

Utes had a painful 40 minutes of basketball in Morgantown on Wednesday night

West Virginia Athletics

Utah women’s basketball suffered a tough road loss against No. 18 West Virginia, falling 75-46 in a game dominated by the Mountaineers from start to finish.

This matchup was crucial in the Big 12 women’s basketball race, but the Utes struggled to find their rhythm against a relentless defensive effort from West Virginia.

The Mountaineers set the tone early, pressuring Utah into multiple turnovers and holding them to just two points in the first six minutes. The Utes shot just 2-of-14 in the opening quarter and turned the ball over six times, leading to a 13-5 deficit at the break. West Virginia’s defense disrupted Utah’s offensive flow throughout the game, forcing 28 turnovers and limiting the Utes to just 31.5% shooting on 54 attempts.

West Virginia’s JJ Quinerly stole the show, setting a new career-high with 38 points. She continued her scoring surge into the fourth quarter, helping the Mountaineers extend their lead to 29 points early in the final period. Utah simply had no answers for Quinerly’s offensive explosion.

Maye Toure was a bright spot for the Utes, finishing with 12 points and nine rebounds, but she was the only Utah player in double figures. Gianna Kneepkens, after a slow first half, ended with nine points, but Utah's struggles on offense prevented them from mounting any kind of comeback.

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With this loss, the Utes drop to 21-7 overall and 12-5 in Big 12 play. They will now turn their attention to their final home game against rival BYU on March 1.

The matchup is set for a 3:30 pm ET tip-off and will be televised on ESPN+. Utah will look to bounce back and finish their regular season strong before heading into postseason play.