Women's Basketball: WVU Storms Past Santa Clara
December 30, 2009 09:37 PM | General
December 30, 2009
PHOTOS
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| Liz Repella |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The No. 19-ranked West Virginia University women’s basketball team triumphed over Santa Clara, 78-55, this evening at the WVU Coliseum.
The win is the Mountaineers’ 10th straight and improves their season-opening record to 12-1, the program’s best 13-game start. Additionally, the victory is WVU’s second over the Broncos (2-12) in as many years and pushes its series advantage to 2-0.
The Mountaineers’ swift hands and the Bronco’s inability to hold on to the ball proved to be the difference in the game, as WVU tallied 14 steals and converted 22 SCU turnovers into 24 points. WVU also staked its claim to the lane, outshooting SCU in the paint, 36-22, including 22 points off of second-chance opportunities.
Junior guard Liz Repella scored 20-plus points for the fourth time this season with a team-best 21 points; she has now scored in double figures in 12 of the Mountaineers’ 13 games this season. The Steubenville, Ohio, native shot 6-of-19 from the field and poured in five 3-pointers. Repella also grabbed seven rebounds and swiped three steals in 35 minutes of play.
Junior forward Korinne Campbell scored 16 points, while redshirt junior forward Madina Ali chipped in 11 and went 4-for-6 from the free throw line. Ali also totaled a game- and career-best 11 rebounds for her first career double-double.
Guard Alyssa Shoji paced the Broncos with a game-best 24 points and shot 7-for-12 from the 3-point line, tying an opponent WVU Coliseum record.
The Mountaineers shot their way to a 45-27 halftime lead on the strength of a 47.2 field-goal percentage (17-36). Four players scored six or more points, with Campbell pacing the squad with 10.
The Broncos raced out to a fast start, with their first three trips down the court resulting in eight points, all scored by Shoji. Down six, the Mountaineers strung-together seven quick points and went ahead for good, 9-8. From there, WVU put on the cruise-control, and with just over 5:30 remaining in the first half, the Mountaineers were on top of the Broncos, 32-19, courtesy of a 30-11 run.
SCU opened the second half identical to the way it started the game – on an 8-0 run. Two 3s by Shoji and a jumper by Lina Gimpson put the Broncos within 10, 45-35, but Ali halted the SCU scoring with a fastbreak layup at 16:45, and Repella quickly added two free throws.
The two squads then traded baskets, but consecutive 3-pointers from Repella in a span of 40 seconds upped the Mountaineers’ advantage to 57-42; SCU would not get within 15 points the rest of the game.
Tonight’s win concludes the Mountaineers’ seven-game home-stand. WVU takes to the road for the first time since Nov. 28 and opens BIG EAST play at St. John’s on Saturday, Jan. 2, at 2 p.m. The contest will be broadcast on BIG EAST-TV.
