Riley Makalusky and Kierra Wheeler Ignite No. 19 West Virginia’s Stunning 50-Point Dominance Over UCF

When the dust settled on Wednesday night in Morgantown, West Virginia wasn’t just celebrating a win — they were celebrating a smackdown. I mean, 106 to 56 against UCF? That’s not just a victory, it’s a full-on statement. Riley Makalusky came off the bench and put up 20 points in as many minutes — a career-best scoring explosion that had me raising an eyebrow. And Kierra Wheeler? She wasn’t far behind, lighting up the scoreboard with 18 points while grabbing nine rebounds. This No. 19 Mountaineers squad is on a roll, pocketing their fourth consecutive win with a performance that looked more like a clinic than a basketball game. You gotta love the rhythm here — from solid shooting percentages to a staggering 41-0 edge on points off turnovers, West Virginia looked downright unstoppable. Whether you’re a fan of their defensive hustle or their offensive firepower, this game had a bit of everything, and it’s clear the Mountaineers are charging hard through this Big 12 season. LEARN MORE

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Riley Makalusky scored 20 points in 20 minutes off the bench, Kierra Wheeler scored 18 points, and No. 19 West Virginia blew out UCF 106-56 on Wednesday night for the Mountaineers’ fourth straight win.

Makalusky, a junior forward, had her highest scoring game since she was a freshman playing for Butler. She made 7 of 10 shots overall, 3 of 4 3-pointers and went 3 for 3 at the free-throw line.

Sydney Woodley scored 16 points off the bench, Jordan Harrison and Gia Cooke 12 each and Sydney Shaw 10. Wheeler and Shaw grabbed nine rebounds each. Harrison, who had at least 14 points and five steals in her past four games, had four steals and eight assists.

West Virginia had a 41-0 advantage in points after turnovers. The Mountaineers had only seven turnovers to 23 for UCF.

West Virginia (21-5, 11-3 Big 12) led 13-4 after 5 1/2 minutes of play, then extended the lead to 24-6 thanks to an 11-0 run. The Mountaineers led 24-8 after one quarter and the lead reached 25 points after back-to-back 3-pointers by Makalusky, who scored 12 points in the first half. West Virginia led 45-22 at halftime.

The Mountaineers shot 68% (13 for 19) in the third quarter and scored 31 points for their biggest scoring quarter of the game. They led 76-38 heading to the fourth quarter and scored another 30 points.

Mahogany Chandler-Roberts scored 12 points to lead the Knights (10-14, 2-11).

Central Florida has lost six in a row.