LSU Downs WVU
March 19, 2007 10:42 PM | General
March 19, 2007
BOX SCORE | PHOTO GALLERY
AUSTIN, Texas – West Virginia had its chances to knock off No. 3-seeded LSU, but the Lady Tigers overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to hold off the Mountaineers 49-43 Monday night in an NCAA tournament second-round game at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.
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| West Virginia's Ashley Powell watches the final seconds tick off the clock as LSU held on for a 49-43 victory in an NCAA tournament second-round game in Austin, Texas. WVU graduate assistant coach Donnie Johnson is in the background.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
"I'm very, very proud of our basketball team," said West Virginia coach Mike Carey. "They showed a lot of heart; came out and played extremely hard."
With West Virginia leading 35-24 after an Ashley Powell driving lay up with 12:22 remaining, LSU scored 12 straight points -- six coming from All-America junior center Sylvia Fowles with West Virginia center Olayinka Sanni sitting on the bench with four fouls.
Sanni picked up her fourth foul with 15:19 remaining and spend the next 12 minutes watching from the bench.
"We felt our defense was good enough to keep us in the game," Carey said.
Powell answered Fowles’ basket with a bucket of her own to put the Mountaineers up 37-36, and another 2-pointer by Powell gave WVU its last lead of the game at 39-38 with 5:50 left.
A pair of Fowles baskets put the Lady Tigers up three, 42-39. Two Chakhia Cole free throws with 2:38 remaining pulled the Mountaineers to within one, 44-43.
West Virginia had a chance to re-take the lead following a timeout with five seconds on the shot clock, but Sanni’s medium-range jumper came off strong. At the other end Fowles was able to score her 21st point with 1:33 remaining to put LSU ahead by three.
WVU’s next two trips on offense resulted in missed shots. LaQuita Owens couldn’t get a shot over 6-6 Fowles inside, and Sparkle Davis’ 3-point try from the corner to tie the game grazed the side of the rim with 1:03 remaining.
Powell pulled down Quianna Chaney’s missed jumper with 33 seconds left and drove to the basket but her lay up attempt fell short. Powell was whistled for her fifth foul trying to get the basketball back, giving Erica White two free throws which she converted. Another White free throw sealed if for LSU, now 28-7.
Powell scored a career-high 13 points for West Virginia. The sophomore was 6 of 13 shooting and also pulled down three rebounds. Chakhia Cole added 11 points for the Mountaineers.
LSU did a great job guarding West Virginia’s top two scorers Sanni and Owens, who combined to shoot just 5 of 18 for 10 points.
Chaney contributed 11 points for LSU. Fowles was 9 of 10 from the floor and also grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. LSU finished 19 of 44 shooting for 43.2 percent.
West Virginia was 18 of 48 for 37.5 percent.
"I think we were 1 for 12 from 3; if you hit a couple of them it would be a different story," Carey said.
LSU moves on to the Fresno Regional to be played on March 24.
West Virginia finishes the season 21-11.
