Pitt Preview
January 02, 2004 05:36 PM | General
January 2, 2004
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women’s basketball team opens Big East play Saturday afternoon against rival Pitt at the WVU Coliseum.
 |
||
| Kate Bulger is averaging 19.4 points in 11 games against teams from her hometown of Pittsburgh. (All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks) |
The game will tip off at 4 pm and will be televised by the Mountaineer Sports Network and will air on WJAL in Chambersburg, Pa., WVFX in Clarksburg and Charter Communications.
The Mountaineers come into Saturday after a pair of non-conference wins against Duquesne and Missouri-Kansas City. West Virginia’s 8-3 record includes wins over Bucknell, East Carolina, Georgia Tech, James Madison, Wright State and Robert Morris; West Virginia’s three losses are against Southwest Missouri State, Delaware State and Northwestern.
Senior Sherell Sowho leads the Mountaineers with an average of 16.1 points per game. The 5-foot-8 guard is just 172 points shy of joining teammate Kate Bulger on the school’s 1,000 point list.
Bulger is averaging 15.3 points per game this season and has been particularly successful against Pittsburgh teams, averaging 19.4 points per in 11 games. West Virginia has won 9 of those games.
In two of four career games against Pitt, Bulger scored 22 in 2000 and 26 in a game in 2002.
Junior point guard Yolanda Paige has increased her scoring average of late, scoring a career-high 32 in a recent win against Duquesne to boost her overall average to 12.6 points per game. She is also handing out a conference-best 7.2 assists per game.
The remainder of West Virginia’s probable starting lineup consists of 6-foot-2 senior forward Michelle Carter and 5-foot-10 senior forward Janell Dunlap. Carter is averaging 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while Dunlap is averaging 6.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
Pitt is coming off a 62-48 win over Fordham on Dec. 31. The Panthers are 4-6 under first-year coach Agnus Berenato, who took over the Panther program last spring after leading Georgia Tech to an NCAA tournament appearance in 2003.
Pitt’s four victories this year have come against Central Connecticut State, Norfolk State, Robert Morris and Fordham; Pitt shows losses to Coppin State, Duquesne, Hartford, Penn State, Clemson and Xavier.
Six-one senior forward Latoya Kincaid is Pitt’s top scoring threat, averaging 15.3 points per game. She has led the Panthers in scoring in eight of the team’s 10 games this year including a career-high 25 in a loss to Duquesne.
Kincaid is also the team’s top rebounder averaging 7.8 boards per game.
Five-eight sophomore guard Jessica Allen follows Kincaid in the scoring column with an average of 9.2 points per game.
Pitt has won two of the last three games including a 67-61 win in Pittsburgh last year. The Panthers are looking for their first win in Morgantown since 1981. West Virginia leads the overall series 15-13.
