WVU Women Win
January 25, 2006 07:52 PM | General
January 25, 2006
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – What Meg Bulger couldn’t make from the field she more than made up from the free throw line, helping West Virginia to a 72-58 victory over Marshall Wednesday night in the Toyota Capital Classic in Charleston.
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| West Virginia's Meg Bulger and Marshall's Michele Hagan battle for a loose ball Wednesday night in a women's basketball game at the Charleston Civic Center. West Virginia defeated Marshall 72-58.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
The junior managed to make only 3 of 13 field goals but converted all 11 free-throw tries to finish with a game-high 18 points. Last year the Pittsburgh native scored 36 points against Marshall but West Virginia lost the game, 82-76.
At halftime, it looked like the Mountaineers (11-6) were headed toward a second consecutive loss against the Herd. Marshall led 30-27 at the break and held West Virginia to well below 40 percent shooting.
But the Mountaineers found their shooting touch in the second half and held Marshall to just 10 points during a 12-minute stretch to turn a three-point deficit into a 14-point, 54-40 lead.
Toyota Capital Classic player of the game Britney Davis-White keyed West Virginia’s second-half run, scoring five straight points to begin the half and added a big 3 from the top of the key to put WVU in front by eight, 38-30.
The Mountaineers increased their lead to 12, and then 15 on a LaQuita Owens free throw making the score 55-40. Another free throw by Ashley Powell gave West Virginia its biggest lead of the game at 17 with five minutes left.
West Virginia finished the game 24 of 29 from the free throw line, and out-rebounded the Herd, 35-26.
Davis-White and Chakhia Cole finished with 15 points each; Cole pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. Yelena Leuchanka came off the bench to contribute 13 points and grab five rebounds.
Sikeetha Shepard-Hall and Modupe Ishola scored 12 points each to pace Marshall. Reshundra Smiley added 10 – all in the first half. Marshall struggled to find the basket, making on 20 of 52 for 38.5 percent.
Shepard-Hall was named Toyota Capital Classic player of the game for Marshall, now 10-7.
The Mountaineers now lead the series against Marshall by a 29-15 count.
West Virginia resumes Big East play this Sunday at St. John’s in Madison Square Garden. The game will be televised as the Big East game of the week and can be seen on the Internet through CSTV All-Access.
