WVU women’s hoops team to face step up in competition this week against Temple, No. 15 Duke

MORGANTOWN — A year later, the chip still rests firmly on the shoulders.

That was how WVU guard Jordan Harrison explained it, as the Mountaineers (2-0) are about to take a major step forward in competition this week. It’s the type of competition that will tell a story of just how far the team has come in Mark Kellogg’s third season with the program.

“We definitely have to be more consistent,” Harrison said. “The small stuff we get away with against some of the teams we’ve been playing, we won’t be able to get away with this week. We’re just bigger than those teams we’ve been playing.

“With these games coming up, we have to play a lot smarter. We can’t have any drop off.”

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It begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday, when the Mountaineers host Temple (2-0), who will travel to Morgantown with five players scoring in double figures and with two victories against George Mason and George Washington in their collective pockets.

Temple won both games by an average of 22.5 points and the Owls are averaging 90 points per game.

Then it’s the big one, as WVU will travel to The Greenbrier Resort to face No. 15 Duke (1-1) on Friday. The Blue Devils lost their season opener against Baylor, but return five of their top six players from last season when they advanced to the Elite Eight.

It’s the type of matchup the Mountaineers have been in before under Kellogg, but have generally come up on the short end. WVU is 1-8 against teams ranked in the top 15 of the AP Top 25 since Kellogg took over in 2023, but the program still rose up to surpass expectations otherwise and has been a contender in the Big 12 in each of his first two seasons.

Hence the chip on the shoulder. Those top 10 programs are where the Mountaineers want to be. Getting there takes another step that the elite programs aren’t willing to give up.

“Especially having Duke, I mean, they’re ranked, so we’re going to have that chip on our shoulders,” Harrison said. “We want to be ranked, too.”

A win against Temple would extend the Mountaineers’ home winning streak to 20 games, but it’s not a topic Kellogg dives too deeply into.

“We’re not counting them,” he said. “What we did last year and this year doesn’t overly impact us, other than we’ve created something special. Hopefully, the fans will continue to come out and support us, because I think we’ve got a great product and we certainly appreciate it.”

It will be a battle of WVU’s defense against Temple’s offense. The Owls are 28th in the nation in team scoring, while shooting 46% from the field. Tristen Taylor leads Temple in scoring at 15 points per game, while Jacksonville transfer Saniyah Craig averages 11 points and 13.5 rebounds per game.

On the flip side, WVU is allowing just 47 points and forcing nearly 32 turnovers per game.

“Our defensive identity has been good,” Kellogg said. “I think we’re taking steps in the right direction. We’ve obviously got things to work on. We’ve rebounded it fairly well so far. The new kids have bought in and I think they’re seeing the benefits and rewards of when we can turn people over.”

WVU senior guard Sydney Shaw enters the matchup coming off a career-high 23 points against Kent State.

Kierra Wheeler has made an immediate impact after transferring in this season from Norfolk State. She’s averaging 15.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while Harrison has been her steady self, averaging 14 points and three assists per game.