The Mountaineers Tame Lions to Advance in the NCAA Tournament

West Virginia handles Columbia, forcing 25 turnovers to cruise to the round of 32

West Virginia University guard Jordan Harrison / Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

Chapel Hill, NC – West Virginia senior guard JJ Quinerly produced a game-high 27 points and junior guard Jordan Harrison put in 23 as the Mountaineers (25-7) handled the Columbia Lions (24-7) Saturday afternoon to advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament with a resounding 78-59 win.

West Virginia opened the game with a 7-2 run capped by a three from junior guard Jordan Harrison, but Columbia was able to keep pace, shooting 4-5 starting the game to stay within two 12-10 at the 6:46 mark of the first quarter.

The Mountaineers quickly grabbed an eight point near the midway point with a 6-0 spurt and Quinerly scoring four of her first quarter points.

Both offenses cooled in the back stretch of the quarter, but the Mountaineer defense held the Lions scoreless in the final four minute as WVU stretched its lead to nine, 24-15, at the end of the first quarter.

Columbia junior guard Perri Page worked her way to the basket for the lay-in, but again, another West Virginia 8-0 run opened the lead up to 15, 32-17 with 7:39 remaining in the half.

West Virginia steadily built its largest lead of the first half to 21 behind eight second quarter points from Jordan Harrison as the Mountaineers took a 46-29 lead into halftime.

Harrison continued her offensive prowess, scoring the Mountaineers’ first six points and Quinerly hit a pair of free throws to extend the lead to twenty-two, 54-32, at the 6:42 mark of the third quarter.

Columbia sophomore guard Riley Weiss and senior guard Cecelia Collins buried threes and senior guard Kitty Henderson hit two free throws to dwindle lead to 14 with four minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Quinerly and freshman forward Jordan Thomas recorded consecutive buckets before Weiss kept the lions in the game with a three, but senior forward Kyah Watson drove the lane for a contested layup as the Mountaineers took a 63-45 lead into the fourth quarter.

West Virginia senior guard Sydney Woodley scored the only field goal in the first four minutes of the first four minutes of action as both defenses tightened up down the stretch.

The Lions was within 16 but could not inch any closer against the West Virginia defense as the Mountaineers coasted to a 78-59 victory.

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