By John Antonik for MSNsportsNET.com
January 11, 2005

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia’s Meg Bulger scored a career-high 36 points but that wasn’t enough to stop Marshall from collecting an 82-76 victory Tuesday night at the Charleston Civic Center in the first game of the Toyota Capital Classic.

	Meg Bulger scored 36 points in a losing effort for West Virginia. All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks photo

The struggling Mountaineers recently snapped a three-game losing streak at Providence on Saturday, but have dropped three of their last four after starting the season 9-0.

Marshall jumped out to a 9-6 led after a three by Reshundra Smiley before a 5-0 West Virginia run gave the lead back to the Mountaineers. Bulger started the run with a lay up and Sherell Sowho tacked on a free throw and a driving lay up.

Trailing 18-17, Marshall got a three from Sikeetha Shepard-Hall to begin a 13-0 run to take a 10-point lead, 28-18. Shepard-Hall added a jumper and a pair of inside baskets by Modupe Ishola made it 26-18, Marshall. KeShawna Curry tacked on a follow up basket to give Marshall a 10-point lead.

Bulger scored four straight points, Sowho hit a three to pull, and Bulger made another lay up to pull West Virginia to within one, 28-27.

Teyonka Hodge stopped West Virginia’s run with a pair of free throws to make it 32-27, Marshall.

Marshall got the lead back to eight, 40-32, after a Hodge basket. Cole answered for West Virginia with a short one inside to cut Marshall lead to six, and a Bulger 18-footer moved WVU to within four, 42-38, before Hodge hit one of two with 2.3 seconds left to give Marshall a 43-38 halftime lead.

West Virginia used a 6-0 run to the start the second half to retake the lead, 44-43 following a Chakhia Cole free throw. West Virginia extended its lead to four at 49-45 and 51-47 before Marshall answered. The Herd tied the game at 51 on a Ishola put-back.

With the score tied at 58, Shepard-Hall knocked down a clutch three and Hodge followed with a three-point play at 6:44, drawing a fourth foul on Mountaineer point guard Yolanda Paige.

A nifty move inside by Bulger cut Marshall’s lead to four, 64-60, and two minutes later a five-footer by Kate Glusko tied the game at 64.

After the two teams traded baskets, Hodge made a lay up to put the Herd up 68-66. After a Crystal Champion free throw, Bulger tied up the game with 2:40 remaining on a three, but Marshall got a three-point play from Smiley to retake the lead, 72-69.

Cole moved WVU to within one and Bulger kept the Mountaineers to within one on a 16-footer answering Champion’s bucket inside.

At that point Marshall won the game at the foul line, making six straight at one point while WVU starters Sowho, Paige and Bulger fouled out.

Bulger's 36 points were a Big East best so far this year and marked the most points scored by a Mountaineer sicne older sister Kate scored 36 against Syracuse two seasons ago. Bulger's scoring output tied for the fourth most points in school history. The Pittsburgh native made 12 of 25 field goal attempts and 10 of 11 from the foul line.

Hodge led Marshall with 20 points while Smiley added 17 and Shepard-Hall contributed 14.

Marshall made 28 of 65 field goal attempts for 43.1 percent and out-rebounded the Mountaineers 44-39.

Both teams committed 14 turnovers.

Sherell Sowho was the only other WVU player to reach double figures with 13 points.

Paige handed out 14 assists and Cole grabbed 12 rebounds.

West Virginia (10-4) lost to Marshall (6-7) for the first time since 2001.

The Mountaineers return to action Saturday afternoon in the Coliseum facing Seton Hall at 2 pm.