No. 17 West Virginia women pull away in 3rd quarter to beat UCF 74-62

Mountaineers outscore Knights 31-9 in decisive third period

Feb. 26, 2026 at 2:09am

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The No. 17 ranked West Virginia women's basketball team defeated the University of Central Florida (UCF) Knights 74-62 on Wednesday night. After trailing 27-25 at halftime, the Mountaineers exploded for a 31-9 third quarter to take control of the game and cruise to the victory.

Why it matters

This win keeps West Virginia in the hunt for a high seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, as they improve to 23-6 overall and 13-4 in Big 12 conference play. For UCF, the loss extends their losing streak to 10 games as they struggle to a 10-18 record on the season.

The details

West Virginia was led by Gia Cooke's 19 points and Jordan Harrison's 16 points. The Mountaineers shot an impressive 76.5% from the field in the decisive third quarter, including 3-for-3 from 3-point range. UCF was paced by Khyala Ngodu's 21 points and 9 rebounds, but the Knights were unable to keep pace after halftime.

  • West Virginia led 27-25 at halftime.
  • The Mountaineers outscored UCF 31-9 in the third quarter.

The players

Gia Cooke

A West Virginia player who scored a team-high 19 points in the win.

Jordan Harrison

A West Virginia player who scored 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting.

Khyala Ngodu

A UCF player who led all scorers with 21 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in the loss.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

The takeaway

This game highlighted the talent and depth of the No. 17 ranked West Virginia women's basketball team, who were able to pull away from UCF with a dominant third quarter performance. The Mountaineers' ability to shoot efficiently and force turnovers proved to be the difference in this conference matchup.