West Virginia women’s basketball pulls off wild upset despite losing more than half the team to ejections

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The West Virginia women’s basketball team pulled off a wild upset over No. 15 Duke on Friday night after the odds became even more stacked against them at halftime.

That’s because six Mountaineers were ejected after a brief skirmish, which led to WVU having just five players left for the entire second half.

Duke’s Jordan Wood blocked Jordon Harrison’s three-pointer to close out the first half and screamed in her face in celebration. 

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West Virginia Mountaineers guard Jordan Harrison during the second half of a women’s basketball game between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Arizona Wildcats on Jan. 25, 2025, at McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona. (Christopher Hook/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

When the two exchanged shoves, the Mountaineers’ bench emptied before the teams were separated. Departing the bench carries an automatic ejection.

It took officials 15 minutes to sort through all the ejections. Of the ejections, four were WVU starters.

Trailing 23-20 at halftime, West Virginia emerged from the break and proceeded to outscore the Blue Devils 20-6 in the first six minutes of the third.

West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Mark Kellogg looks on from the sideline in the first quarter against the Kansas State Wildcats at T-Mobile Center. (Amy Kontras/Imagn Images)

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The Blue Devils drew within 53-49 with 37 seconds left before Sydney Shaw atoned for some late turnovers and made five of six foul shots in the last 43 seconds to clinch it.

“I’m disappointed in the ending of the half,” WVU coach Mark Kellogg said. “I think we’re better than that — we’re going to learn a huge lesson — but I’m so proud of that group of five.”

West Virginia Mountaineers guard Sydney Shaw drives with the ball in the second quarter of a women’s Big 12 tournament quarterfinal game between the Kansas State Wildcats and West Virginia Mountaineers on March 7, 2025, at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. (Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Duke travels to South Florida on Thursday. West Virginia hosts Appalachian State on Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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