MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 22/21-ranked West Virginia University women’s basketball opens a two-game homestand with Evansville on Wednesday, November 26. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. inside the WVU Coliseum.

 

Wednesday evening is Feed-A-Family Night. Any individual who brings a non-perishable food item to the Blue Gate will receive a free hot dog coupon to use at the game (limit two per person). The items will support the Mountaineer Food Bank. Kids can get free admission by completing a Musket coloring sheet (click here).

 

Fans can listen to Jeff Culhane describe Wednesday’s action on WLRF 94.3 FM and online at WVUsports.com. A free live video stream will also be provided at WVUsports.com.

 

The Mountaineers (2-1) are coming off a tough 74-61 loss at now-ranked No. 25 Mississippi State. Senior Averee Fields scored a team-leading 23 points. Bria Holmes chipped in 18 points en route to earning Preseason WNIT All-Tournament team honors.

 

This week, Holmes was named to a pair of prestigious watch lists. She was selected to the John R. Wooden Award’s Top 30 List and the Wade Watch List. Both of those awards go to the nation’s top player at the end of the season.

 

Holmes leads the Big 12 and is 13^th nationally with 25.7 points per game. Fields is second on the team with her 18.7 points. Redshirt freshman Teana Muldrow rounds out the Mountaineers’ double-figure scorers with 11.3 rebounds per game.

 

Senior Linda Stepney’s has dished out an average of 5.3 assists in the first three games, good for fourth in the Big 12. Crystal Leary is WVU’s top rebounder, pulling in 8.7 boards per contest.

 

Evansville (1-2) opened the season with a 72-68 win over Austin Peay. However, the Purple Aces have dropped their last two games on the road at Ball State (70-76) and IPFW (59-77).

 

The Purple Aces are led by senior Mallory Ladd, who is boasting 18.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Ladd scored a career-best 31 points at IPFW. Preseason All-Missouri Valley selection Sarah Dickey is boasting 15.0 points, while Khristian Hart has come off the bench to tally 16.0 points in the first three games.

 

Last season, Evansville finished the year 15-16 and earned a berth in the Women’s Basketball Invitational. The Purple Aces are predicted to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2014-15.

 

“We can’t go into tomorrow’s game and make the same mistakes,” said associated head coach Chester Nichols. “That’s one of the things we are focusing on. We need to correct those mistakes and get better.”

 

- Bria Holmes has scored double figures in seven consecutive games dating back to last season.

- Averee Fields has scored 20-plus points in back-to-back games for the first time in her career.

- Senior Linda Stepney is four games shy of starting her 100th career game.

- Holmes has 773 points and is 227 from reaching 1,000 career points.

- Holmes’ 25.7 ppg leads the Big 12 and is13th nationally as of Nov. 24.

- Stepney’s 5.3 assists per game is fourth in the Big 12 and 54th in the NCAA.

 

- Junior guard Bria Holmes garnered two prestigious award recognitions this week.

- The New Haven, Connecticut, native was named to the John R. Wood Award Top 30 List and to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s Wade Watch List. Both awards honor the nation’s top women’s basketball player.  

 

- WVU is 357-160 (.690) overall all-time at the Coliseum in program history.

- WVU is 151-39 (.795) all-time under Mike Carey, including a flawless home record in 2010.

- West Virginia has experienced 18 of the top 20 largest crowds at the Coliseum under coach Carey.

- WVU has yet to have a losing season at home under the direction of the Clarksburg native.

 

- WVU fell to No.  22 in the Associated Press poll released on Monday, Nov. 24 and to No. 21 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches poll.

- For just the third time in program history, West Virginia was ranked in the Associated Press and USA TODAY Sports Coaches preseason polls.