FORT MYERS, Fla. – West Virginia University women’s basketball coach Mark Kellogg waited and waited and waited for his team to get over the hump against Texas.
The Mountaineers came close in the third quarter and even closer in the fourth.
Agonizing close.
West Virginia had the ball and a chance to tie in the final seconds but a steal ended thoughts of overtime as fifth-ranked Texas edged the 12th-ranked Mountaineers 78-73 in the Gulf Coast Showcase championship on Sunday.
“What a battle,” Kellogg said. “Two high-level basketball teams with a lot of competitive spirit, maybe too much spirit.
“But I don’t want to play with the best, I want to beat the best. And they’re one of the best teams.”
Texas coach Vic Schaefer echoed those thoughts. While he likes his team and its personality, he definitely respects West Virginia. He said he can’t believe the Mountaineers were picked to finish sixth in the Big 12.
“I think they’ll win it,” he said. “West Virginia is a good team. I knew we were walking into a dogfight. They have a great scheme and are well-coached.
“Their guards are so good. Some teams have one good defender, a few have two, nobody has three. He’s got three great guards. They’re monsters. And it’s hard to guard them. With that guard play, they’re a top six, top seven team, no question.”
Texas guard Rori Harmon said West Virginia is the type of team that can “take it away from you.” And the Mountaineers (8-1) almost took it.
They trailed 72-62 with 1:36 to go. Free throws by J.J. Quinerly (29 points) and Jordan Harrison (20) on the same possession made it 72-66. Nine seconds later Sydney Shaw (10) made two more from the line.
After a stop, Quinerly made a short jumper to cut it to 72-70.
Texas’ Madison Booker put her team back up by four but Shaw answered with a 3 from the corner and it was a one-point game with 43 seconds left.
With the shot clocking melting, Booker hit a jumper to make it 76-73.
Kellogg called time out with 17 seconds left, then took another with 7 seconds left.
On the inbounds, Texas’ Justice Carlton stole the ball, was fouled and made two free throws to clinch the game.
“It was out of desperation,” Kellogg said. “We made a couple of runs but we couldn’t string together our stops and makes.”
The coach liked Quinerly’s overall play, Harrison’s attack of the basket, Danelle Arigababu’s play off the bench and Shaw’s late-game shooting.
What he didn’t like was his team being too ramped up at the beginning of the team, getting down by 11, having 20 turnovers and being outscored 26-6 on second-chance points.
What he loved most? The resilience.
“We’re chill, not in a bad way,” Kellogg said. “We have a cool demeanor. We’re gonna fight and find a way to stay in the game.
“I just thought we’d make a run earlier.”
— Story by Craid Handel
