West Virginia guard Jordan Harrison (10) shoots against Kentucky in the first half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Morgantown, W.Va. (AP Photo/Kathleen Batten)

MORGANTOWN — WVU women’s basketball had the last possession of the game down by one point. There were 8.3 seconds left, and Mark Kellogg called a timeout. Out of the break, Sydney Shaw inbounded it to Gia Cooke. Cooke dribbled to inside the arc and fired a mid-range jumper.

The sold-out Coliseum crowd of 12,830, who were already standing, held their breath. The ball hit the front iron and the back of the rim, but didn’t fall in.

“I think everybody thought that was going in,” Shaw said. “I thought it was a great shot. I thought she did a great job creating a good shot for herself. Nine times out of 10, that shot is going in. This was the one out of 10.”

The Mountaineers’ season and historic run were over. No. 4 WVU fell to No. 5 Kentucky 74-73, stopping WVU for the third straight year in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Even after winning the Big 12 Conference tournament and hosting a regional for the first time since 1992, WVU couldn’t advance to the Sweet 16.

“Very well coached, so credit to Kenny (Brooks) and his group,” Kellogg said. “They just really, I guess, made one more play when it comes down to it. But man, I’m so proud of your group. I’ve loved this season.”

Kentucky advances and heads to Fort Worth, Texas, to face No. 1 seed Texas in the Sweet 16. The Longhorns beat No. 8 Oregon 100-58 to advance. Kentucky and Texas have faced each other once this season, and the Longhorns won 64-53. Kentucky’s last Sweet 16 appearance was in 2016.

WVU left it all out on the court, and even forced a turnover with 0.2 seconds, but there wasn’t realistically enough time to get a shot off.

The Mountaineers trailed almost the entire second half, but stuck around, even when being down by 14 at one point. Late in the fourth, WVU brought it within a point. Shaw dialed in and made multiple big-time 3-pointers. Shaw had three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, almost completing the comeback.

“I think I’m just on a team when there’s everybody that wants to win, to be better,” Shaw said. “Obviously, we have moments where we’re not playing our best basketball, and we’re able to recognize that.”

Kentucky’s interior size was just too much for WVU’s smaller players to handle. Kentucky’s 6-foot-5 forward Clara Strack received a lot of attention heading into the matchup, being named first-team All-SEC after the regular season. She made her presence felt, but it was her partner, forward Teonni Key’s impact that really helped lift Kentucky over WVU.

Strack had 18 points, and Key led the Wildcats with 19 points, but it was the impact under the rim, rebounding and blocking shots. Strack blocked four shots, had 15 rebounds and had five offensive boards. Strack’s double-double was her 16th of the season. Key had 10 rebounds as well.

Kentucky outrebounded WVU 39-23, and the Wildcats had 12 offensive rebounds.

“We knew that their length was probably going to cause some issues,” Kellogg said. “We have learned through the year how to play through that and figure out ways to attack. I thought in the second quarter we did a good job, kind of getting downhill and attacking, getting to the free throw line a little bit.”

Strack and Key helped spark a big start in the second half after WVU and Kentucky were tied at 36 apiece. After a 3-pointer, Key had a layup, and then Strack made another big one and drew a foul to go to the line on the next possession. She made both free throws to put Kentucky up 11.

“It’s a game of runs,” Brooks said. “I’d like to tell you we did something different, but we just locked in.”

WVU’s star players weren’t quiet, either. Shaw finished with 23 points, and Cooke had 23 as well. Guard Jordan Harrison had 11 points and had four steals, including one at the end of the game. Shaw also had four steals. But it wasn’t enough to overcome that third-quarter deficit.

“My biggest disappointment is we just couldn’t squash that run,” Kellogg said.

Forward Kierra Wheeler helped WVU keep it close in the first half, after Kentucky took the lead. Wheeler started backing down Strack, scoring tough baskets, which created immediate momentum after a scoring drought. After Wheeler’s bucket, WVU forced a back-court violation. A few possessions later, Wheeler had another physical basket, and WVU forced a steal on the other end. In the first half, Wheeler went 5-for-6 from the floor, with 10 points. She finished with 16 points, shooting 8-for-11 from the floor.

“That was Meme,” Kellogg said. “That’s what she’s done all year. Honestly, when we recruited her, that’s what we wanted. That’s what we expected.”

WVU’s press created issues for Kentucky, too. When the crowd really got roaring was after a bucket and a quick turnover. The Wildcats turned the ball over 17 times compared to WVU’s just eight. WVU scored 15 points off turnovers.

The defense pressure just couldn’t slow down Strack and Key to help WVU advance to the Sweet 16, keeping the historic season alive.

“They were just fun,” Kellogg said. “I thought they brought the best out of me. Hopefully, I brought the best out of them. They’re Big 12 tournament champions, the Greenbrier 5. The environment we created here. I’m so thankful for our seniors. I love them all. I think our program is in a great spot.”