Women's Basketball: WVU Travels to Rutgers
February 10, 2007 10:04 PM | General
February, 10, 2007
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women’s basketball team will look to continue its winning ways when they travel to Piscataway, N.J. to face the No. 22 Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Sunday afternoon at the RAC. Tip-off is set for 3:20 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN 2.
The Mountaineers have won eight of their last nine contests and are coming off a dominant 66-42 home win over St. John’s on Tuesday night.
Offensively the Mountaineers boast a balanced attack led by center Olayinka Sanni’s team-best 14.1 points and seven rebounds per game. Sanni has scored in double-digits in 13 consecutive games. LaQuita Owens is next in scoring with 12.8 points per game while Chakhia Cole rounds out the Mountaineers in double-figures, pitching in 11.5 points per contest.
West Virginia (16-8, 7-4) has relied heavily on a stingy defense that has held its opponents to just 56.3 points per game with only three opponents scoring 70 or more. The Mountaineers are ranked 26th nationally in field goal percentage, holding opponents to an average of just 36.2 percent shooting. WVU is 12-1 on the season when holding opponents under 60 points.
Rutgers (14-7, 7-3) comes into the game having won four of their last five but are looking to rebound from a hard-fought 60-50 loss at Connecticut on Tuesday night.
The Scarlet Knights boast three starters in double-figures led by guard Epiphanny Prince’s 14.7 point per game average. Guard Kia Vaughn pitches in 13.5 points and pulls down a team-best 9.9 rebounds per contest. Forward Essence Carson is third in scoring, averaging 12.7 points per game.
Rutgers has a very active defense, that West Virginia coach Mike Carey expects to challenge his squad.
“They are very quick and athletic,” Carey said. “They pressure you a lot and that helps them create easy opportunities for their offense.”
Rutgers holds a dominate 36-9 advantage in the all-time series. Carey is 3-4 all-time against the Scarlet Knights. In the last meeting between these teams, WVU defeated No. 6 Rutgers 56-40 in the semifinals of last season’s Big East Tournament. That win marked the highest ranked team WVU has ever defeated.
“I’m sure they will be waiting for us up there with revenge on their mind,” Carey said.
Tip-off from the RAC is set for 3:20 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN 2.
