Mountaineers Get Defensive
January 20, 2010 08:56 PM | General
January 20, 2010
PHOTO GALLERY
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Just like it has done all season, the 11th-ranked West Virginia University women’s basketball team put on another defensive clinic in its 74-42 victory on Wednesday evening over Marshall as part of the Chesapeake Energy Capital Classic at the Charleston Civic Center.
The Mountaineers (18-1, 5-0) won by a 32-point margin, their largest margin of victory over the Thundering Herd (11-7, 3-2) since winning 81-39 in Morgantown in 1990. It is also West Virginia’s second-largest victory over Marshall when playing in Charleston, only bested by its 77-42 win in 1989.
West Virginia has now won its 16th consecutive game, finishing its regular-season nonconference slate with a 13-1 record and 11 double-digit wins. Its current win streak is WVU’s longest since winning 22 in a row during the 1991-92 season.
Redshirt junior guard Vanessa House had another solid performance, scoring a career-high 16 points for her third double-figure scoring performance in her last four games.
Freshman Asya Bussie and junior Korinne Campbell added 14 points apiece for WVU, while point guard Sarah Miles added 11. Campbell earned Game MVP honors after adding eight rebounds to her impressive performance.
Marshall played without leading scorer Tynikki Crook, who sat out with a broken hand.
Madina Ali led all players with 12 rebounds, as WVU outrebounded its in-state rival, 44-27. The Mountaineers also shot 44.8 percent from the field and held Marshall to 32.6 percent.
West Virginia excelled from long distance once again, making 7 of 16 3-point field goal attempts. Campbell, Liz Repella and House added two apiece.
Freshman guard Akeema Richards gave 17 good minutes off the bench, finishing the game with three steals. WVU totaled 15 steals altogether.
The Mountaineers had the clear advantage inside, outscoring Marshall, 30-16, inside the paint. WVU also scored 19 points off turnovers.
Coach Mike Carey now improves to 8-1 overall against Marshall, winning five consecutive contests. WVU’s 15 victories at the Charleston Civic Center are its most at any other facility besides the WVU Coliseum.
WVU came out firing in the second half. After scoring just three points due to foul trouble, Repella scored WVU’s first six on the half and WVU led 38-14, forcing a Marshall timeout, with 18:18 left in the contest
WVU led 32-14 at the half, and its pressure defense forced 14 Marshall turnovers and limited the Herd to just 5 of 23 shooting (21.7 percent) from the field. Campbell had a game-high nine points while Bussie added seven and Ali had seven rebounds.
Offensively, WVU found its offensive rhythm, connecting for 42.8 percent shooting (12 of 28) from the field including three 3-pointers.
Consecutive 3-pointers by Repella and House extended WVU’s lead to 29-10, its largest at that point of the game with 3:13 remaining in the first half.
WVU led 14-6 by the second media timeout and extended to 21-8 with just under eight minutes to play in the first half. Campbell paced WVU early with a quick nine points but picked up her second foul with 10:37 remaining in the half, forcing her to the bench.
Wes Virginia faces one of its toughest tests on Sunday, Jan. 24, when it battles No. 4 Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. with the contest airing on ESPNU.
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All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks photo
