West Virginia Women’s Basketball Overpowers Miami (Ohio) in NCAA Tournament Debut at Home
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 4 seed West Virginia Mountaineers defeated the No. 13 seed Miami (Ohio) RedHawks 82-54 in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Hope Coliseum. The victory marked West Virginia’s first NCAA Tournament game played in Morgantown in 34 years, drawing a crowd of 13,504 – the largest in program history.
Dominant Performance Fueled by Home Crowd
Sydney Shaw led the Mountaineers with 19 points and nine rebounds, even as Gia Cooke added 18 points. West Virginia’s strong defensive start and efficient shooting, exceeding 50% from the field and sinking seven 3-pointers, propelled them to a commanding lead that they maintained throughout the game.
Electric Atmosphere at Hope Coliseum
The home-court advantage was palpable, with a sea of gold and blue filling Hope Coliseum. Despite NCAA tournament regulations prohibiting the display of sponsors and the playing of the team’s signature song, “Country Roads,” the energy was electric. Fans enthusiastically participated in pre-game traditions, clapping in sync during “The Stroke” by Billy Squier – a tradition started by former football coach Rich Rodriguez – and applauding former WVU player J.J. Quinerly when she was featured on the jumbotron.
“It met what the expectation would be,” head coach Mark Kellogg said. “We hadn’t seen it yet, so you’re always kind of in dream mode… That was certainly one of them.”
Players fed off the crowd’s enthusiasm. Guard Jordan Harrison and forward Kierra Wheeler expressed their amazement at the turnout and the energy it provided. Even Miami (Ohio) head coach Glenn Box acknowledged the impact of the crowd before the game, and Miami forward Ilse de Vries stated the boos from the crowd served as motivation.
Looking Ahead to the Second Round
West Virginia (28-6) will advance to the second round of the Fort Worth region, where they will face No. 5 seed Kentucky on Monday, March 23, at 5 p.m. Kellogg acknowledged the challenge of maintaining the same level of energy for the next game, but expressed his hope that fans would return to support the team.
“Let’s run it back Monday, maybe,” Kellogg said. “An opportunity to reflect and end up at this point at home hosting an NCAA tournament game was really, really special.”