Women Advance
March 18, 2005 10:09 PM | General
March 17, 2005
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University senior point guard Yolanda Paige didn’t want her season to end when Maine cut the Mountaineers’ lead to three with 10 minutes to go. So she kicked her game into high gear and helped West Virginia defeat the Black Bears 74-59 in a WNIT first round game Friday night at the WVU Coliseum.
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| Yolanda Paige scored 17 points and handed out 10 assists to lead West Virginia to a 74-59 win over Maine in a WNIT first-round game in Morgantown.
All-Pro Photography/Joe Sadlek |
Paige finished the contest with 17 points and 10 assists and scored five straight points during a one-minute stretch to put the Mountaineers back up by eight. Freshman LaQuita Owens followed with seven straight points to increase West Virginia’s lead to 15 with just 8:16 remaining. The closest Maine was able to get the rest of the way was 12 with 4:27 and 58 seconds left.
Paige now has 15 career double-doubles and 31 career double-figure assist games. Paige has 869 career assists which ties her with Necole Hall (Alabama State) for ninth all-time in NCAA history. Paige also made her 116th career start which establishes a WVU record previously held by Kate Bulger with 115.
Owens made her second career start in place of senior Sherell Sowho, who was suspended indefinitely earlier in the week for violating team rules.
Sophomore Meg Bulger led West Virginia with 23 points on nine of 15 shooting. Bulger sank five of seven three-point field goals and also grabbed seven rebounds. Bulger’s 23-point effort was her 15th this season, placing her third behind Rosemary Kosiorek in 1992 (24) and Cathy Parson in 1981 (18) on the school single-season list.
Owens and fellow freshman Olayinka Sanni added 11 each. Freshman Chakhia Cole pulled down a team-best eight rebounds.
West Virginia (18-12) made 28 of 58 field goal attempts including nine of 18 from three. The Mountaineers held a narrow 35-33 rebounding advantage and forced Maine into 16 turnovers.
Maine (20-10) got 14 points from Ashley Underwood and 12 from Monica Peterson. Maine missed its first seven shots of the game and finished hitting just 16 of 50 field goal attempts for 32.0 percent. However, the Black Bears set a Coliseum record by making 24 of 24 from the free throw line. The previous best was done by Boston College when the Eagles made 18 of 18.
The Mountaineers are now 20-0 in non-conference home games and 40-12 in home games under Coach Mike Carey.
West Virginia recorded its first post season victory since 1992 when the Mountaineers downed Clemson in the first round of the NCAA tournament. West Virginia returns to action on Monday, March 21, playing host to conference member St. John’s.
The Red Storm advanced to the second round by defeating Delaware 48-42 in a first round game yesterday. St. John’s (20-10) lost at West Virginia 84-58 back on Feb. 8 at the Coliseum.
Monday’s game will start at 7 pm. Tickets for the second round will go on sale at the Mountaineer Ticket Office beginning Monday morning at 9 am. Tickets are priced at $6 for the general public and $4 for students.
