Women's Basketball: WVU Evens Record
November 19, 2005 10:18 PM | General
November 19, 2005
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| Leuchanka |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Yelena Leuchanka scored 20 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to help West Virginia to a 77-63 win over Central Florida Saturday night in the second game of the UCF Golden Knights Classic in Orlando, Fla.
Leuchanka’s 20-point, 17-rebound double-double were career highs for the senior, who had 18 points and 13 rebounds in yesterday’s 57-54 loss to Texas San Antonio.
The Mountaineers (1-1) shot 51 percent for the game to avoid starting the season 0-2 for the first time since the 1992-93 season. Sophomore Olayinka Sanni contributed 19 points and added 8 rebounds to help WVU to a substantial 45-27 advantage on the boards.
West Virginia’s all-Big East guard Meg Bulger was saddled with foul trouble and had her second consecutive sub-par performance, managing just 13 points or six below her season average last year. She scored just 11 points on 4 of 14 shooting in the Mountaineers’ opener Friday night.
But it was Bulger’s pair of threes to begin the second half that snapped at 38-all tie at the start of the second half to help the Mountaineers jump out to a 45-38 lead. West Virginia built a 13-point advantage after a pair of Sanni free throws, 59-46, and also held a 13-point margin with 7:30 left on another basket by Bulger. West Virginia’s biggest lead of the game was 15 at 77-62.
West Virginia went 14 of 28 from the field (58.3 percent) and held Central Florida (1-1) to just 7 of 26 for 26.9 percent for the second half including a scoreless stretch for the remaining 3:01.
Sophomore LaQuita Owens contributed 10 points for West Virginia.
UCF junior guard Francine Houston led the Golden Knights with 17 points. Jackie Akers and LaShay contributed 11 points each.
Texas San Antonio defeated Florida A&M, 71-61 earlier in the day.
The Mountaineers have a week to digest this weekend’s games before returning to the hardwood to take on Fordham in its home opener on Saturday, Nov. 26, at the WVU Coliseum. Tip off is set for 7 pm.
