Seven women’s basketball players removed during chaotic fight as a shorthanded West Virginia defeats Duke

West Virginia Tops No. 15 Duke in Wild Game

Losing more than half your team to ejections can somehow lead to a surprising victory.

On Friday night, West Virginia pulled off an upset against No. 15 Duke after a late first-half altercation resulted in seven players being ejected, including six from West Virginia, four of whom were starters.

After the ejections left the Mountaineers with only five players for the second half, they managed to come back and win 57-49.

“I think that might be the craziest game I’ve ever coached,” West Virginia’s coach Mark Kellogg remarked, as his team improved to 4-0.

The tension began when Duke’s Jordan Wood blocked Jordan Harrison’s three-point attempt, keeping the Blue Devils ahead 23-20 at the Greenbrier Tipoff.

Wood flexed and taunted Harrison, prompting a push-back from Harrison, which drew in a Duke teammate. This, of course, escalated into a scuffle involving multiple players.

Referees quickly stepped in to quell the situation.

Although the altercation was brief, five West Virginia players, including starters Gia Cook, Jordan Thomas, Madison Parrish, Kiera Wheeler, and Carter McCray, were ejected for leaving the bench, according to reports.

Both Harrison and Wood faced penalties as well.

“We need to be better than that. I believe we’ll learn from this incident and its repercussions,” Kellogg reflected on the event. “It’s disappointing how we responded.”