Northwestern’s Upset Bid Comes Up Short Against No. 24 West Virginia, 66-53

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (November 13, 2026) – Northwestern (1-3) pushed No. 24 West Virginia (4-0) to the limit, pulling even midway through the fourth quarter, but the Mountaineers closed regulation on a 15-2 run to escape with a 66-53 victory this evening as part of the GoMart Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

How It Happened
After falling into an early 5-0 hole, Northwestern slowly chipped away, climbing back within one, 8-7, on a Lexi Blue three at the 5:25 mark of the first quarter. West Virginia pushed the margin out to six on a Divine Tumba layup that made it 16-10, but the Wildcats finished with a flurry, rattling off the frame’s final six points, the last two of which came on a steal and score by Camdyn Nelson to knot the game at 16-16.

An old-fashioned three-point play from Casey Harter snapped a quarter-opening 6-0 spurt by West Virginia, trimming the Mountaineers’ lead back down to three, 22-19. Gia Cooke converted on the break to give West Virginia its largest lead of the first half, 34-26, with 1:33 to play. A second-chance bucket by Jasmyn Cooper-Derba, followed by a Kat Righeimer steal and layup, trimmed the gap to four, 34-30, before Khyala Ngodu converted as time expired to send the Mountaineers into the locker room with a 36-30 edge.

Northwestern raced out of the gate in the third quarter, pulling level at 38-38 with an 8-2 run that featured triples from Harter and Lily Carmody.

After seeing West Virginia reestablish a six-point lead, 44-38, Brooke Golden connected from mid-range to trim the deficit to four, 44-40, ahead of two Carmody free throws that made it a one-possession game, 44-42. The Wildcats refused to go away, with another Harter score getting Northwestern back within two, 46-44, heading to the fourth quarter.

Both teams struggled to create separation during the early moments of the final frame. Righeimer brought the upset-minded Wildcats even with 4:36 remaining, finishing through contact as part of a conventional three-point play that knotted the score at 51-51.

West Virginia had the final say on the night, using a 15-2 surge to fend off Northwestern.

Inside The Box Score
- Nelson led Northwestern on the offensive end, finishing with a career-high tying 12 points (4-7 FGs, 4-5 FTs). The sophomore guard also matched a career high with six rebounds and came away with a career-best three steals.
- Harter reached double figures in scoring for a fourth consecutive game, the longest streak of her career, as she closed her evening with 10 points (4-11 FGs, 1-4 3FGs, 1-1 FTs), five rebounds, and two blocks.
- Carmody narrowly fell short of a double-double, adding nine points (3-13 FGs, 1-3 3FGs, 2-2 FTs), a career-high eight rebounds, and five assists.
- Northwestern held West Virginia to a season-low 36.2 percent (21-for-58) from the field.-- Cooke led all scorers with 22 points (5-11 FGs, 2-4 3FGs, 10-12 FTs) for West Virginia.

Up Next
Northwestern closes its stay at the GoMart Greenbrier Tip-Off on Saturday with a 5 p.m. CT clash against Appalachian State inside Colonial Hall.