Quinerly scores 21 of her 31 points in 1st half, No. 18 West Virginia women race past UCF 80-58

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. (AP) — JJ Quinerly scored 21 of her season-high 31 points in a dominating first half and No. 18 West Virginia coasted to an 80-58 win over UCF on Wednesday.

Quinerly scored 17 points in the first quarter as the Mountaineers raced to a 17-10 lead. West Virginia forced 11 turnovers and shot 11 of 18 with four 3-pointers. Quinerly, who made 6 of 8 shots, scored eight points in a closing 17-1 run.

The Knights missed their last five shots of the first quarter and their first four of the second and after a basket missed their next seven shots. The Mountaineers had a 14-point run with the first eight by Sydney Shaw, who started it with two 3-pointers. She had 10 in the run.

Shaw hit five 3-pointers and scored 19 points for West Virginia (11-2, 1-1 Big 12 Conference). Jordan Harrison added 12 points.

Khyala Ngodu had 14 points to lead the Knights (7-5, 0-2). Kaitlin Peterson added 13 points, Nevaeh Brown added 12 and Emely Rodriguez 11.

UCF was 7-of-25 shooting, 0 of 6 from 3-point range, and had 16 turnovers in the first half when West Virginia made six 3s and shot 55%.

The game shifted in the second half when UCF shot 55% and forced the Mountaineers into 11-of-33 shooting and 16 turnovers. The Knights were down 30 entering the fourth quarter and never got closer than the final score after they scored the last eight points of the game.

BYU plays at West Virginia on Saturday, while Arizona is at UCF.

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