MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Interstat) — West Virginia overwhelmed Texas Southern 109-40 in a nonconference women’s basketball game Monday night at WVU Coliseum. The Mountaineers, now 8-2, seized control with a 32-point second quarter, building a 58-26 halftime lead. They extended their advantage with a 34-point third quarter. The Lady Tigers, who fell to 3-5, managed only three points in the final period. Kierra Wheeler led West Virginia with 23 points. Jordan Harrison added 17 points and seven assists. Daeja Holmes and Taliyah Logwood each scored 12 points for Texas Southern. An announced crowd of 2,418 watched the Mountaineers win their second straight game.

STAR CITY, W.Va. (Interstat) — The West Virginia women’s basketball team delivered a commanding performance Monday night, overwhelming Texas Southern 109-40 at WVU Coliseum in a nonconference matchup. The Mountaineers, improving to 8-2, left little doubt from the opening tip, using a stifling full-court press and a relentless transition attack to build a 58-26 halftime lead. The visiting Lady Tigers, who fell to 3-5, struggled to find any offensive rhythm against West Virginia’s defensive pressure, committing 35 turnovers which the Mountaineers converted into 48 points. West Virginia’s dominance was most evident in a decisive stretch spanning the late first and entire second quarter. Leading 15-14 with just over three minutes left in the opening period, the Mountaineers closed the quarter on an 11-2 run. They then erupted for 32 points in the second quarter while holding Texas Southern to only 10, turning a competitive start into a 32-point halftime rout. This surge, fueled by constant defensive harassment and efficient scoring, effectively decided the contest before the intermission. Kierra Wheeler, a 6-foot-1 junior from Minneapolis, led all scorers with 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field, adding six assists and three steals in just 22 minutes. She was one of six Mountaineers to score in double figures. Point guard Jordan Harrison of Oklahoma City orchestrated the offense with 17 points and seven assists, while Miami native Sydney Shaw filled the stat sheet with 11 points, five assists and a blocked shot. The Mountaineers shot 56% from the field for the game and dished out 30 assists on 44 made baskets. Their defense held Texas Southern to 27% shooting and just 3 points in the final quarter. For Texas Southern, Daeja Holmes and Taliyah Logwood each scored 12 points. Holmes, from Fresno, California, played a team-high 36 minutes. The Lady Tigers were held to their lowest scoring output of the season. A crowd of 2,418 watched as West Virginia bounced back emphatically from a 59-81 loss to Villanova in its previous outing. The Mountaineers have now won five of their six home games by an average margin of 41 points. Texas Southern, coming off a 52-81 loss at North Texas, has faced a challenging early schedule with all five of its losses coming against power conference opponents or strong mid-major programs. West Virginia is scheduled to host Georgia Tech on Thursday. Texas Southern’s next game is at Texas A&M-Commerce on Dec. 15. According to National Statistical’s ELO system, West Virginia entered the game with a 99.70% probability to win.

STAR CITY, W.Va. (Interstat) — The West Virginia women’s basketball team looks to continue its strong start when it hosts Texas Southern on Monday night at WVU Coliseum. The Mountaineers (7-2) are coming off a dominant 97-51 victory over Mercyhurst on Friday. Guard Jordan Harrison led the way with 19 points and five assists in just 27 minutes. Harrison, a key facilitator, has averaged 11.1 points and 4.6 assists per game this season, including a 19-point performance in the team’s most recent outing. West Virginia’s two losses came against ranked power-conference opponents Villanova and Ohio State by narrow margins. Their defense has been a cornerstone, holding opponents to an average of 58.2 points in their seven wins. Texas Southern (3-4) seeks to rebound from a 52-81 road loss at North Texas on Saturday. The Lady Tigers have faced a challenging early schedule, with three of their four losses coming against Colorado State, Troy and a tough Texas squad. The Lady Tigers will lean on guard Daeja Holmes, who is coming off a versatile performance against North Texas with 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 40 minutes. Holmes has scored in double figures in five consecutive games, averaging 12.3 points during that stretch. Texas Southern’s victories have come against overmatched opponents, while they have struggled against stronger competition. Containing Harrison and navigating West Virginia’s defensive pressure will be a primary challenge. This nonconference matchup is the first meeting between the programs. Following this game, West Virginia will quickly turn to host Georgia Tech on Thursday. Texas Southern continues a lengthy road swing, not playing at home again until Dec. 29. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. EST Monday at WVU Coliseum.