WVU Falls in Lone Exhibition
November 09, 2008 10:00 PM | General
November 9, 2008
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Done in by a 44-32 second-half scoring disadvantage, the West Virginia University women’s basketball team lost 70-67 to DT-3 in an exhibition contest at the WVU Coliseum.
Senior guard Takisha Granberry led all Mountaineers with 18 points on 7-15 shooting, while sophomore guard Sarah Miles added 16 points, going 7-13 from the field. Classmate, guard Liz Repella, netted WVU’s only double-double with 15 points, including a 3-7 effort from the 3-point line, and 10 rebounds.
WVU graduate LaQuita Owens led all scorers with 24 points for DT-3. Owens also paced her team on the boards, grabbing 12 rebounds.
“I’m disappointed because we competed, had an 11-12 point lead, but then relaxed and didn’t start executing offensively or defensively,” says Coach Mike Carey. “We gave them easy shots. LaQuita Owens got hot and we didn’t go out and get her. There is a lot we have to correct and that is why we have these games.”
The Mountaineers jumped out to a 35-26 halftime score, but could not contain the DT-3 shooters, as the team went 8-12 from the 3-point line in the second stanza. Owens nailed five of her six triple-pointers in the second half.
A Vanessa House first-half lay-up put the Mountaineers ahead, 13-11, at 13:47. WVU retained the lead until the 9:59 mark in the second half, when DT-3’s Jasmine Byrd knotted the score at 51-51.
Miles regained the lead for WVU, 53-51, with a lay-up at 8:46. The Mountaineers built a four-point advantage, but could not hold on, as Owens gave DT-3 the lead for good with a 3-pointer at 2:30.
House brought WVU to within one, 66-65, with a lay-up at 1:14, but the squad could never get over the hump, missing eight of its last nine shots.
Overall, the lead changed hands five times, while the score was even on four occasions.
“I want to emphasize that I saw some good things, too. We just have to keep working,” Carey says. “We knew it was going to be like this, so we just have to get better. The next time we get out and play we want to look better, so hopefully we can do that.”
The loss is WVU’s lone exhibition of the season. The Mountaineers open regular-season play on Nov. 14, hosting North Carolina Central at 7 p.m.
