WVU women's basketball faced a tough challenge on Friday in their opening game in the Big 12 Women's Basketball Tournament, but the Mountaineers handled business as they were expected to and fought off a hot start and a late-game rally from the Arizona State Sun Devils to escape with a 67-54 win.
WE WILL SEE YOU TOMORROW WVU‼️#Big12WBB | @phillips66gas pic.twitter.com/mNMnij5b3X
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) March 7, 2026
Arizona State jumped out to an early lead as West Virginia shook off some rust and struggled to adjust to the unique glass playing surface, but the Mountaineers rallied to take a one-point lead at the end of the first period before an 11-0 in the second frame widened the gap even further.
But the Sun Devils hung around and made a push, with a late 8-0 run leaving them within two points of tying the game before WVU outscored 15-4 to close the final eight minute stretch of play.
“You're going to face adversity in these tournament types of games,” head coach Mark Kellogg said after the game. “I'm proud of this one. It's the first one, which are sometimes the hardest ones to get. Now we'll settle in and move on to play more basketball."
West Virginia Mountaineers match best season under Mark Kellogg while Sydney Shaw ties program record
With the victory, the second-seeded Mountaineers move onto the semifinal round in the tournament, where they will face either third-seeded Baylor or sixth-seeded Colorado. The Mountaineers have also now secured their third-consecutive 25-win season underneath Kellogg's leadership, which matches their win total over the past two seasons.
It's becoming a habit 👏#HailWV pic.twitter.com/1bv78vfnQ6
— WVU Women's Basketball (@WVUWBB) March 7, 2026
WVU senior Sydney Shaw also etched her name into the program record books with the win, as she knocked down five three-pointers – tying a program record in the Big 12 Tournament.
The Mountaineers helped build their case for a 4-seed or higher, which comes with a home game in the NCAA Tournament, by securing a Quad 2 win with the victory against the Sun Devils. WVU will be hoping to face the Bears in the next round, however, as it will provide an opportunity for a Quad 1 win against a team they already own a regular season victory against.