WVU Wins Seventh Straight
December 17, 2007 09:06 PM | General
December 17, 2007
BOX SCORE | POSTGAME NOTES
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| Olayinka Sanni |
ROCHESTER, Mich. – ROCHESTER, MICH. (December 17, 2007) – West Virginia University’s nationally ranked women’s basketball team defeated Oakland, 84-65, in non-conference action Monday evening at the O’Rena.
No. 13/13 WVU (10-1) won its seventh-straight contest, led by senior center Olayinka Sanni’s career-high tying 29 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Meg Bulger notched 21 points including a season high six 3-pointers while senior guard LaQuita Owens tallied 13 points including three 3-pointers. Senior Chakhia Cole had a stellar contest with a game and season-high 13 rebounds, eight points, seven assists and three blocks in 36 minutes of play.
“We played very well tonight,” coach Mike Carey said. “The first eight minutes of the game was probably the best we’ve played all year. Yinka was dominant in the post and Meg and LaQuita were hitting from the outside. Oakland is an excellent basketball team, they’ve played very well."
West Virginia never trailed in the contest with Oakland (6-3). The Golden Grizzlies had previously defeated then-No. 21 Florida State at home and had already given No. 7 Georgia and then No. 14 Auburn tough outs this season. WVU jumped on OU with a 13-0 run early in the first half after the game was tied 4-4 just one minute into the game. Sanni spurred the run and ended the half with 16 points.
WVU built its largest lead in the first half at 38-17 after a Kendra Goodley layup with 6:53 left in the first half.
The Mountaineers shot exactly 50.0% from the field (30-60); WVU has now shot 50% or better from the field in five of its last seven games. West Virginia also dominated OU in the paint, 36-14, forced 16 turnovers and tallied 14 second chance points.
West Virginia also grabbed 40 rebounds, tallied 18 assists (75 assists in its last three games) and shot 47.6% from 3-point range (10-21). Oakland was held to just 37.3% shooting from the field (22-59).
Four players reached double digits in scoring for Oakland, led by Anna Patritto’s 17 points off the bench.
WVU returns to action, Saturday, Dec. 22, at 3 p.m., at Big Ten opponent Indiana in Bloomington, Ind., at Assembly Hall.
