Huge opportunity to contend for Big 12 title awaits No. 24 WVU with No. 23 Oklahoma visiting

MORGANTOWN — Before the WVU women’s basketball team can dream about March, it must survive February.

So far, the 24th-ranked Mountaineers have held serve, which sets them up for a bookmark moment at 1 p.m. Saturday.

“We’ve got five left and we’re sitting there in second place,” in the Big 12 standings, WVU head coach Mark Kellogg noted. “The team ahead of us is coming into our building. We’ve got a lot to be excited for and it’s a great opportunity coming up.”

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That would be No. 23 Oklahoma (18-6, 12-1 Big 12), a team that comes into the Coliseum on a nine-game winning streak, including an 84-73 victory against Baylor on Wednesday.

What lies ahead in March appears to be a four-team race for the Big 12 title.

WVU (21-3, 10-3) is one of those four. Along with the Sooners and Texas and Kansas State.

Oklahoma, which has won its last five games against WVU, can make it a whole lot less interesting by walking into Morgantown and knocking off the Mountaineers.

WVU could throw a gigantic monkey wrench into the equation with a victory.

“They’re a really good team who are playing really well,” Kellogg said of Oklahoma. “They got some real quality wins early, took some lumps in the middle, but they have bounced back, obviously in Big 12 play. They’re clicking right now on all cylinders.”

The Sooners are clicking behind the duo of Payton Verhulst and Skylar Vann, who combined for 26 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in the win against Baylor.

“They’re hard to guard, because they’re so versatile,” Kellogg said. “They can play inside. They can play outside. They’re reads are so good off each other. They play with such a freedom on offense.”

WVU counters with its fullcourt pressing defense and its trio of guards in J.J. Quinerly, Jordan Harrison and Lauren Fields.

Combined, both Oklahoma and the Mountaineers are found in the top four in scoring among Big 12 teams.

“They can kind of put you in a blender if you’re not careful and you start chasing a little bit, because they pass so well,” Kellogg said. “It’s an elite team on both ends. You have to be dialed in.”

It all sets up what could be one of the biggest opportunities for a WVU team that was picked to finish eighth in the conference at the start of the season.

Under a first-year coach in Kellogg, the Mountaineers have bucked those expectations all season long.

There is a chance WVU can make a splash come March, but a major statement can be made right now in the middle of February.

“We’re ranked and they’re ranked and they’ve won nine in a row,” Kellogg said. “If you have a nine-game win streak in the Big 12, you’re doing something right.

“We feel like we’ve been playing really well lately, too. We feel confident and it should be a tremendous atmosphere.”