MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — JJ Quinerly delivered a striking performance with a career-high 38 points, connecting on 16 of 21 shots, to tie West Virginia’s single-game scoring record. The No. 18 Mountaineers triumphed over Utah 75-46 on Wednesday night, concluding an unbeaten 16-0 run at home this season.
Quinerly’s standout evening matched the record previously set by Meg Bulger, who played for the Mountaineers from 2004-08, and it could be Quinerly’s final game at the WVU Coliseum.
In the opening half, Quinerly put up 14 points, contributing to West Virginia’s 30-18 lead. Her third quarter was especially impactful, as she poured in 15 of the team’s 21 points, including a crucial steal followed by a fast-break layup, extending the lead to 51-36.
A three-pointer from the corner, eight minutes into the fourth quarter, pushed Quinerly to a new personal best of 34 points. With West Virginia leading by over 20 points, she took a seat for much of the remaining action.
Previously recognized as one of the leading shooting teams in the nation, Utah came into the game with stellar shooting statistics, ranking in the top 15 for field goals (47.7%) and three-pointers made (38.5%). However, they managed only 17 successful field goals from 54 attempts and committed 28 turnovers.
West Virginia capitalized on Utah’s errors, netting 35 points from turnovers. This marked the 19th instance this season the Mountaineers forced 20 or more turnovers in a contest.
Maye Toure emerged as the leading scorer for Utah with 12 points and nine rebounds, while Gianna Kneepkens, who typically averages a team-high 19.4 points, was limited to nine.
Looking ahead, both teams are set to close their regular-season schedule on Saturday. Utah will compete against BYU at home, and West Virginia will face Cincinnati on the road.
