MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In a commanding performance, the 15th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers triumphed over East Tennessee State with a decisive 85-40 victory on Friday night. Jordan Harrison led the Mountaineers with 17 points, while Sydney Shaw contributed significantly with 15 points and recorded six of the team’s 18 steals.
Shaw was instrumental right from the start, scoring eight points as West Virginia launched an impressive 18-2 run to open the game. By the end of the first quarter, she had tallied 13 points, propelling the Mountaineers to a 23-10 lead. The Buccaneers struggled offensively, managing only four field goals in the first quarter and committing a staggering 11 turnovers.
The second quarter saw Kylee Blacksten ignite a fresh momentum with a 3-pointer, helping boost West Virginia into a 14-0 scoring burst. Shaw capped off that run with a basket, extending the lead to 40-14. At halftime, the Mountaineers had a commanding 44-16 advantage, driven by Shaw’s 15 points and Harrison’s 12.
In the first half, West Virginia displayed impressive shooting, launching eight 3-pointers, with Shaw accounting for three of those. Conversely, ETSU struggled with their shooting, hitting just 7 of 15 attempts while yielding an alarming 22 turnovers. So far this season, the Mountaineers have forced 20 or more turnovers in nine different games.
With this latest victory, West Virginia improved their record to 9-1 and extended their streak to 35 consecutive nonconference home wins dating back to the 2017-18 season. Blacksten and Kyah Watson also contributed, each adding 11 points to the scoreboard. Notably, Harrison reached a personal milestone, surpassing 1,000 career points during the match.
For East Tennessee State, Braylyn Milton emerged as the team leader in scoring, finishing with nine points. Looking ahead, West Virginia will face Temple in their next showdown on Sunday, while ETSU will return home to take on UVA Wise.
