Women's Basketball: WVU Drops Road Decision
December 03, 2005 05:17 PM | General
December 3, 2005
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| Bulger |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia dug itself into an 18-point first-half hole and couldn’t get out of it, losing 72-70 at UNC Greensboro Saturday afternoon at Fleming Gym in Greensboro, N.C.
West Virginia (3-2) came all the way back and tied the game at 68 on a 3 by Meg Bulger with 1:40 left, but UNCG answered when Meghan Chamberlain hit a lay up at 1:15.
Olayinka Sanni made a short jumper to once again knot the score at 70, and on the other end the Spartans got one of two from Jasmine Byrd at the free throw line to make the score, 71-70 with 49 seconds left.
After a pair of West Virginia time outs ran the clock down to 20 seconds, the Mountaineers’ squandered its chance to take the lead when Chakhia Cole was whistled for traveling. On the other end, WVU’s Ashley Powell fouled Byrd with eight seconds left. Byrd once again hit one of two, giving WVU one more opportunity to either tie the game or win it. But West Virginia was unable to get off a shot as the clock expired.
Kristen Boone led UNC Greensboro, now 2-3, with 16 points. Byrd scored 13, Ashley Current added 12, and Irene Otamiri scored 10 for the Spartans.
UNCG’s bench outscored West Virginia’s 45-9. Another telling stat was West Virginia’s ball handing, the Mountaineers committing 24 turnovers for the game. This offset a 52.9-percent shooting effort and a 37-29 rebounding advantage for WVU.
Bulger led West Virginia with a game-high 23 points and also grabbed 7 rebounds. Cole and Sanni scored 17 points each; Cole led all rebounders with 9.
West Virginia returns to the road to take on Houston next Saturday, Dec. 10. The Cougars own a 1-3 record heading into this weekend’s Kansas State tournament where they will play St. Joseph’s and either Kansas State or Texas Pan American.
