Women's Basketball: WVU Falls to Villanova
March 01, 2006 04:38 AM | General
February 28, 2006
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.- Liad Suez-Karni scored 21 points and Jenna Viani added 18 to lead the Villanova Wildcats to a 69-56 victory over the West Virginia Mountaineers Tuesday night at the WVU Coliseum.
The Wildcats held a 35-30 halftime advantage on the strength of 53 percent (15 of 28) shooting from the floor.
The Mountaineers battled to within two at 40-38 on a Chakia Cole jumper with 14:53 left to play. Villanova then responded with a 12-6 run to push their lead back to a comfortable eight-point margin at 52-44 with 8:11 left in the second half. The Mountaineers could get no closer than six points the rest of the way.
With each run the Mountaineers put together, the Wildcats responded with a perimeter shot set up by dribble penetration.
“We gave up penetration and when you give up penetration you have to help and they kick it out for 3 and they were hitting them tonight. When they are hitting them like that they are very tough,” West Virginia coach Mike Carey said.
For the game, Villanova (18-9, 9-7) shot a sizzling 53 percent (28 of 53) from the field, including 41 percent (7 of 17) from 3-point range.
West Virginia shot a respectable 47 percent (23 of 49) from the field.
Cole led the way for the Mountaineers with a career-high 21 points on 8-12 shooting from the floor. Olayinka Sanni added 14.
“I thought Chakia Cole and Yinka did a good job for us and came to play hard. I’m very proud they didn’t quit,” Carey said.
Despite their eighth consecutive loss, West Virginia (12-14, 4-12) locked up the 12th and final spot in the Big East Tournament by virtue of a Seton Hall and Providence loss Tuesday night. The Mountaineers will most likely play the Louisville Cardinals in the first round.
“As a competitor, I hate going into the Big East Tournament like this, but at the same time, we are going to go, we are going to play hard, and we are going to try to win,” Carey said.
Despite having at least one game left to play this season, Carey couldn’t help but look to next year and the brighter days ahead for his program.
“I think we will have a heck of a team next year. We have a lot of young talent coming back, we had a great recruiting class, we have two young ladies sitting out as transfers and we’re going to sign one or two more in this late recruiting period. We are going to be fine, it has just been one of those years,” Carey said.
Seniors Yelena Leuchanka and Jeriece Lee were honored before the game. They each started in their Coliseum finale.
