WINTER PARK, Fla. – The West Virginia University women’s basketball team takes on Indiana on Monday in the final day of the Florida Sunshine Classic at Warden Arena on the campus of Rollins College. Tipoff is set for 7:15 p.m.
West Virginia (9-2) picked up its seventh consecutive victory with a 69-62 win over James Madison on Sunday. The Mountaineers used a 12-0 fourth quarter run to knock off the Dukes. Bria Holmes registered a team-high 16 points, while Lanay Montgomery followed with 15. Indiana (7-3) fell 89-75 to No. 23/21 Miami on Sunday, snapping a four-game win streak.
A free video stream link will be provided at WVUsports.com. Jeff Culhane and Liz Repella will call the action locally on 94.3 FM WRLF. Fans can also listen to the contest online at WVUsports.com or by using the WVU Gameday app.
WVU’s field goal defense of 32.1 percent ranks fifth nationally as of Monday. The Mountaineers rank 12th with 62 blocked shots this season and are 18th in the NCAA with 31 defensive rebounds per game. Distribution has been a huge key to WVU’s early success, as the Mountaineers have registered double-figure assists in 10-of-11 games this season. West Virginia’s 17.0 assists per game ranks 26th nationally. Offensively, West Virginia has knocked down 45.2 percent from the field which is second in the Big 12 and 31st in the NCAA.
Holmes continues to lead the Mountaineer scoring attack with her 17.9 points per contest. The New Haven, Connecticut, native climbed to No. 8 on WVU’s all-time scoring chart with her 16 points on Sunday. Holmes has ink 1,609 points in her four-year career and is 33 from passing Liz Repella (1,641) for seventh.
Montgomery ranks third in the league with 9.3 rebounds per game and ranks fourth nationally with 3.2 blocks per contest. The junior center has notched six or more rebounds in nine consecutive games. Meanwhile, freshman Olivia Seggie continues to rank seventh nationally with a 3.60 assist-to-turnover ratio.
West Virginia and Indiana meet for the fourth time on Monday with IU winning the last two games in the series. The Hoosiers won back-to-back games with a 77-73 victory over WVU in Morgantown in 2008 and a 79-66 victory in Bloomington in 2007. WVU’s lone win came in an 81-77 overtime victory in Morgantown on Dec. 7, 1991.
Second-year head coach Teri Moren has guided the Hoosiers to a pair of early notable preseason wins. IU knocked off No. 24 Chattanooga, 54-53, on Nov. 17 and then defeated Georgia Tech, 69-60, on Dec. 2.
Through 10 games this season, Indiana is averaging 69.8 points per game, while allowing opponents to score 63.1. IU is shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 32.2 percent behind the arc. Indiana is boasting 39.0 rebounds per game.
Three Hoosiers are boasting double-figures with guard Tyra Buss leading the way with 19.9 points and 3.9 assists per contest. Amanda Cahill is second on the team in scoring with 13.4 points per game and leads IU with 14 made triples. Alexis Gassion follows with 12.2 points and 6.4 rebounds.
After Monday’s contest, the Mountaineers take a week-long hiatus before concluding non-conference play against Elon on Monday, Dec. 28, and opening Big 12 action against No. 5/6 Texas on Wednesday, Dec. 30.
