No. 18 WVU Ready for Capital Classic
December 19, 2014 01:42 PM | General
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - After a week hiatus, the No. 22/18 West Virginia University women’s basketball team returns to play versus Marshall in the annual Chesapeake Energy Capital Classic. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. at the Charleston Civic Center.
All tickets are general admission and are $7 each. Call 1-800-745-3000 or purchase tickets online at Ticketmaster.com. Fans can also buy tickets in person at the Charleston Civic Center Box Office.
Jeff Culhane and Meg Bulger will have the call on the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG. Fans can listen locally on 100.9 FM in Morgantown. No video stream will be provided for Saturday’s game.
WVU (8-1) and Marshall (6-2) meet for the 54th time on Saturday, with WVU holding a 37-16 edge in the all-time series. The Mountaineers have won nine consecutive games in the series. Marshall’s last win came on Jan. 11, 2005 (82-76). On Monday, Dec. 22, WVU will visit Ohio State in a 2 p.m. contest.
“These are very two important games going in before the Holidays,” said coach Mike Carey. “We need to be focused on both games. We play Marshall first, which will be an intense game. They are a much better team than they were last year. They’re very disciplined offensively and defensively. Ohio State has a lot of talent and young players. Their two guards are averaging 40 points combined."
“These are going to be two tough games. We need to be focused as these are very important wins going into the Holiday break.”
The Mountaineers have won six consecutive games after an 82-48 over IPFW last week. Senior Linda Stepney registered her first double-double with 13 points and a career-best 11 assists in the win over the Mastodons.
Stepney’s assist/turnover ratio of 4.0 is fourth in the NCAA, while her 6.2 assists dished out per game is 10th in the NCAA. Bria Holmes, the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, leads the Big 12 with 23.7 points per game and is seventh nationally. Center Lanay Montgomery is tops in the league with 3.4 blocks, ranking 10th in the country.
West Virginia leads the nation with 7.1 blocks per game and is 15th in the NCAA with a 33.2 field goal percentage defense.
Marshall has won two out of their last three games. The Thundering Herd has a 77 RPI coming into Saturday’s game. On Tuesday, Marshall defeated Norfolk State 73-71 in a tight road victory.
Leah Scott leads the Herd with 16.0 points per game. Chukwuka Ezeigbo is the team’s top rebounder with 9.9 per game and is boasting 9.3 points per contest.
THE CAPITAL CLASSIC
- For the 24th consecutive year, the Mountaineers and Thundering Herd will be at the Charleston Civic Center for the annual Chesapeake Energy Capital Classic. The Mountaineers have went 17-6 during that span with their last loss occurring in 2005.
- This will be the fourth time that Marshall has faced WVU as a ranked opponent. The last time happened on Jan. 19, 2011, when West Virginia was ranked ninth nationally. Other times include 2010 and 2008. WVU has never lost to Marshall when ranked.
- Last season, WVU collected an 82-51 win in front of 1,565 at the Civic Center. Taylor Palmer, Averee Fields and Bria Holmes reached double figures, all scoring 16 points. Norrisha Victrum was the top scorer for Marshall with 13 points.
- For the 24th consecutive year, the Mountaineers and Thundering Herd will be at the Charleston Civic Center for the annual Chesapeake Energy Capital Classic. The Mountaineers have went 17-6 during that span with their last loss occurring in 2005.
- This will be the fourth time that Marshall has faced WVU as a ranked opponent. The last time happened on Jan. 19, 2011, when West Virginia was ranked ninth nationally. Other times include 2010 and 2008. WVU has never lost to Marshall when ranked.
- Last season, WVU collected an 82-51 win in front of 1,565 at the Civic Center. Taylor Palmer, Averee Fields and Bria Holmes reached double figures, all scoring 16 points. Norrisha Victrum was the top scorer for Marshall with 13 points.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Bria Holmes has scored double figures in 13 consecutive games.
- Holmes has 909 points and is 91 from reaching 1,000 career points.
- She would become the 31st 1,000-point scorer in program history.
- Senior Linda Stepney made her 100th career start two weeks ago and is two shy of the school’s top-10 mark.
- WVU has notched double-digit steals in the last five games, including a season-high 18 vs. IPFW.
- Bria Holmes has scored double figures in 13 consecutive games.
- Holmes has 909 points and is 91 from reaching 1,000 career points.
- She would become the 31st 1,000-point scorer in program history.
- Senior Linda Stepney made her 100th career start two weeks ago and is two shy of the school’s top-10 mark.
- WVU has notched double-digit steals in the last five games, including a season-high 18 vs. IPFW.
WVU’S BLOCK PARTY
- Sophomore Lanay Montgomery has recorded at least two blocks in every game this season. Her average of 3.4 blocks per game is 10th nationally.
- Montgomery’s five blocks in three consecutive games is the first for a Mountaineer since Georgeann Wells achieved that feat in 1986.
- With Montgomery’s help, WVU leads the nation with 7.1 blocks per contest.
- Sophomore Lanay Montgomery has recorded at least two blocks in every game this season. Her average of 3.4 blocks per game is 10th nationally.
- Montgomery’s five blocks in three consecutive games is the first for a Mountaineer since Georgeann Wells achieved that feat in 1986.
- With Montgomery’s help, WVU leads the nation with 7.1 blocks per contest.
NATIONAL LEADERS
- Three Mountaineers rank in the top-10 nationally in individual categories: Bria Holmes 7th in scoring (24.7), Lanay Montgomery 9th in blocked shots (3.4) and Linda Stepney 4th in assist/turnover ratio (4.0) and 10th in assists (6.2).
- Holmes (scoring), Montgomery (blocks) and Stepney (assist/to ratio) all lead the Big 12 in those respective categories.
- WVU’s field goal percentage defense of 33.2% is 15th nationally, while the scoring margin of +21.4 is 18th.
- Holmes (scoring), Montgomery (blocks) and Stepney (assist/to ratio) all lead the Big 12 in those respective categories.
- WVU’s field goal percentage defense of 33.2% is 15th nationally, while the scoring margin of +21.4 is 18th.
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