With just five players available for the second half after multiple ejections, West Virginia's women's basketball team upset No. 15 Duke 57-49 on Friday.
"You see in sports things like that happen; there's just something where you rally around each other," West Virginia coach Mark Kellogg told ESPNU after the game. "I'm so proud of that group of five. I guess it's one of those moments where you don't really know what to say. But that's as good a win as I've probably ever had."
Friday's game was the opener of The Greenbrier Tip-Off, a series of college games played this weekend and next at Colonial Hall at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Mountaineers fans made up most of the crowd, and they became the "sixth player" for West Virginia in the second half.
Only five players -- guards Sydney Shaw, Sydney Woodley and Loghan Johnson and forwards Célia Rivière and Riley Makalusky -- were eligible for the second half after West Virginia's other six players were ejected following a skirmish just before halftime.
It started when Duke's Jordan Wood blocked a shot attempt by West Virginia's Jordan Harrison as time expired in the first half. Wood taunted Harrison by yelling in her direction. Harrison then shoved Wood, and a brief fracas broke out as a few other players also pushed each other.
Five Mountaineer players left the bench to come onto the floor: Gia Cooke, Carter McCray, Madison Parrish, Kierra Wheeler and Jordan Thomas. Although they didn't get involved in the shoving, they were ejected for leaving the bench. Harrison and Wood were also ejected.
The Mountaineers trailed 23-20 at halftime. Their leading scorer in the first half was Cooke with 12 points, but she was no longer available. The only starter not ejected was Shaw.
Rivière, a senior reserve from France, had played just two minutes in the first half, but she came up huge in the second half, finishing with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. She picked up her fourth foul with 6:14 left in the game but avoided a fifth, which would have left the Mountaineers with just four players on court.
"She was fantastic," Kellogg said. "We changed her spot in the zone and told her, 'Don't even really try to score, just be available to rebound on the defensive end.' But she's a talented kid. She has great hands and is our best passer out of the post. Sydney Shaw stepped up big time, too."
Shaw, also a senior, led West Virginia with 16 points and had seven rebounds. She made five consecutive free throws to seal the win for West Virginia (4-0).
The Blue Devils, who lost their opener to Baylor on Nov. 3, fell to 2-2. They have relied heavily on defense, and their offensive struggles were a problem again Friday, as they shot 38% (21-of-56) from the field and 17% from 3-point range (2-of-12). Senior guard Taina Mair led Duke with 10 points.