WVU Bags No. 19
February 24, 2004 10:06 PM | General
February 24, 2004
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia took a big step toward determining its postseason destination Tuesday night with a hard-fought, 80-71 victory over Rutgers at the WVU Coliseum on Senior Night.
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| Senior Kate Bulger drives to the basket during West Virgnia's 80-71 win over Rutgers Tuesday night.
(All-Pro Photography/Pete Broyles) |
And being that it was Senior Night, it was only fitting that the Mountaineers got outstanding performances from its three seniors Kate Bulger, Janell Dunlap and Michelle Carter.
Bulger fired in a team-high 22 points, Dunlap chipped in with 15, and Carter contributed 12 in leading West Virginia to its 19th victory of the season and boosting its Big East record to 10-4. The three seniors finished the game a combined 19 of 27 from the floor for 49 points.
“Kate Bulger didn’t hesitate coming down the stretch,” said West Virginia coach Mike Carey. “I think we had a three on one and she shot a three. But she has the green light. If she hits it great but if she doesn’t we’ve got to live with that.”
“It was a great game and a great team effort,” said Kate Bulger. “I’m really going to miss playing here; I’m going to miss the crowd but it’s great to go out with a win like this.”
“This means so much to me being here at West Virginia and playing my last game,” added Dunlap. “I’m so happy but I can’t show my emotions right now.”
West Virginia (19-7) came out smoking in the first half, making 15 of 21 shots for 71.4 percent. Two of the six missed shots were on wide open fast break layup opportunities by Janell Dunlap.
WVU built a seven-point, 27-20 lead with 8:26 left before Rutgers answered with the inside play of Michelle Campbell. Back-to-back baskets by Campbell cut West Virginia’s lead to three and the Knights tied the game at 29 on a basket inside by Chelsea Newton.
A three-point play by Campbell gave the visitors a three-point edge with 2:32 to go and led 36-34 before Yolanda Paige tied it up before halftime at 36.
"They were just pounding it inside and killing us,” said Kate Bulger. “We had no weak side help. The posts were fronting like they were supposed to and the guards were not dropping to give help to our posts. It was our fault and we really didn’t correct it the whole game.”
“We’re shooting 71 percent at halftime and the score is tied,” said Carey in disbelief. “I told, ‘We’ve got to pick it up defensively.’ We did a good job on their guards and they were kicking it inside on us.”
Rutgers (16-10, 8-6) had a five-point, 61-56 lead after a Nikki Jett three-point basket and led by six with 7:26 remaining in the game.
But Kate Bulger led the Mountaineer comeback with a layup to trim Rutgers’ advantage to four, and a short jumper by Carter got West Virginia to within two at 65-63.
After the two teams traded baskets, junior Sherell Sowho, who finished with just 5 points, hit a huge three-pointer with 4:42 to go to give WVU its first lead of the second half, 68-67.
“She had the confidence to go ahead and pull the trigger there,” said Carey. “We want our shooters to pull the trigger if they’re open.”
The Mountaineers forced Shalicia Hurns to miss from the outside and Kate Bulger responded at the other end with a pull-up three to give WVU a four-point edge.
Latitia Williams, in for Carter who fouled out with 4:51 left, hit a key layup to keep West Virginia’s lead at four and Paige made one of two from the line to give the Mountaineers a five-point lead.
After a basket by Newton made it 74-71, Kate Bulger knocked down her fifth three of the game with 1:45 remaining to put West Virginia up by six. Three free throws by Paige sealed it at the end for the Mountaineers.
West Virginia finished the game outscoring Rutgers 15-4.
“It was a little bit sloppy but our girls hung in there and hit some big threes down the stretch,” said Carey. “Tonight we hit our shots and they missed there shots and that was the difference.”
“This is a win we definitely needed to try and get to the tournament,” said Kate Bulger.
The Mountaineers made 29 of 48 field goals for 60.4 percent, including 6 of 15 from three-point distance. WVU was 16 of 25 from the free throw line.
Paige scored 13 points and handed out 8 assists while Meg Bulger scored 11 and grabbed 5 rebounds for the winners.
Campbell paced Rutgers with 23 points. Cappie Pondexter, Rutgers’ leading scorer averaging more than 17 points coming into the game, finished with 12 on 3 of 16 shooting.
“We knew we needed this win,” said Carey. “No matter if they were a good team or a bad team we needed this win for us and especially here at home. The young ladies did a great job.”
The Mountaineers have now won 19 games for the first time since 1997 and need just one more victory to become just the fourth team in school history to record 20 wins in a season. The last time WVU reached the 20-win mark was during the 1992 season when the Mountaineers went 26-4 and advanced to the NCAA “Sweet 16.”
West Virginia has season-ending road games remaining at No. 19 Miami on Saturday and at No. 1 Connecticut on Tuesday before the Big East tournament. That completes a brutal six-game stretch that has seen West Virginia face six conference teams with RPIs of 40 or higher.
“We’ll play hard,” said Carey. “We’ll come out and battle Miami and we’ll battle Connecticut. Win or lose we’re going to go out there expecting to be in the games. We’re going to play hard and not back down.”
Notebook: West Virginia’s win over Rutgers was its 10th conference victory moving it one shy of 11 wins recorded during the 1996-97 season … Yolanda Paige’s eight assists tonight gives her 204 to establish a single-season record previously held by Rosemary Kosiorek in 1992 with 203 … Bulger’s 22 points gives her 29 20-point games for her career and helps her move to within eight points of fourth place on the career scoring list occupied by Donna Abbott with 1,656 points … WVU’s win over Rutgers was just its eighth in 41 meetings and just the fifth at the Coliseum against the Knights … the Mountaineers are now 5-16 against Rutgers at the Coliseum but have won two straight.
