Tirzah Moore has a optimistic debut, as West Virginia runs previous Youngstown State

MORGANTOWN — Tirzah Moore had at all times felt she was destined for, properly, extra.

It was that thought, she mentioned, that led her from Oral Roberts and into the switch portal this spring.

“I knew I may do some bit extra for myself,” Moore mentioned after serving to WVU run previous Youngstown State 94-40 on Sunday contained in the Coliseum. “I didn’t need to restrict my horizons.”

Her two seasons at Oral Roberts noticed her win the Freshman of the Yr within the Summit League, earlier than averaging a double-double as a sophomore.

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A foot harm saved her out of the Mountaineers’ first two video games, however her debut Sunday was value seeing.
She went 4 of 5 taking pictures — “I missed a bounce shot. I’ve started working slightly extra on that,” she mentioned. — and completed with 10 factors, 4 rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes.

“She’s our greatest rebounder,” WVU head coach Mark Kellogg mentioned. “She didn’t get a ton of rebounds, however the ones she will get are type of eye-opening. She will rise up there and actually go get these. She has the flexibility to attain across the rim with a excessive effectivity.”

With Moore now taking part in, the Mountaineers (3-0) are principally taking part in with what Kellogg expects for the remainder of the season.

Ainhoa Holzer and Ashala Moseberry are nonetheless ready to be cleared by the NCAA for eligibility and Zya Nugent is out for the season with an harm.

There isn’t a technique to know at this level if WVU will get Moseberry or Holzer eligible this season.

With that mentioned, Moore brings one other angle for opponents to fret about. She is bodily across the rim, but in addition completed.

Her play is easy and athletic, not rushed and hurried.

“Tirzah is a really athletic submit,” mentioned WVU guard J.J. Quinerly, who completed with 14 factors and 4 assists. “She stretches the ground out for us. She will rebound the ball and submit up. She will do lots for us.”

Not unhealthy for a guard, or not less than that’s what WVU lists Moore as.

“I believe I actually am a real ahead simply due to my measurement,” the 6-foot Moore mentioned. “I can play out or beneath the rim. I don’t assume a selected place defines me.”

The sport was a blowout from the beginning, as WVU ran out to a 9-0 lead and the benefit solely grew from there.

Jordan Harrison led WVU with 16 factors and Lauren Fields added 14 and 4 3-pointers.

The Mountaineers hit 13 threes in all, their most in a sport since taking part in Texas Tech in 2018.

WVU’s full-court press compelled 21 turnovers and the Mountaineers completed with a season-high 22 assists.

All 10 WVU gamers scored not less than one basket, because the Mountaineers completed at 57.1% (36 of 63) taking pictures.

“It was a strong efficiency for positive, our greatest one up to now,” Kellogg mentioned. “We’ve actually talked about getting near 40 minutes and striving for that, which we by no means will. That’s at all times the purpose. This was nearer than we’ve been.”

Kylee Blacksten and Jayla Hemingway each added 9 factors for WVU.

Youngstown State (2-2) was held to simply 30% taking pictures (16 of 53) and the Penguins didn’t match WVU’s 27 first-quarter factors till there was 7:46 remaining within the sport.

“I believe our workforce has quite a lot of potential,” Moore mentioned. “I believe we’ve some actually good gamers. We now have nice shooters. We now have nice finishers. I believe we’ve quite a lot of potential in what our future could be.”