SAVANNAH, Ga. – The No. 19/23 West Virginia University women’s basketball team plays Auburn on Thanksgiving Thursday in the finale of the Savannah Invitational. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
Dan Zangrilli will call the game on the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG, WVUsports.com, TuneIn and the WVU Gameday app. Live stats will also be available at WVULiveStats.com. Click here for a full list of affiliates.
West Virginia (5-0) rolled to a 79-47 win over East Carolina on Wednesday. Teana Muldrow recorded her second career double-double with season-highs in points (21) and rebounds (10). Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year Kristina King registered season-highs with 16 points and eight rebounds. Tynice Martin also added 16 points for her seventh consecutive double-figure scoring game. Katrina Pardee rounded out the double-figure scoring with 10 points.
East Carolina was held to 35.8 percent (19-of-53) shooting from the field, marking the sixth consecutive WVU opponent to shoot less than 40 percent. ECU was limited to four points in the fourth quarter, tying the lowest point total for a Mountaineer opponent in a quarter.
The Mountaineers are off to their best start since the 2010-11 season when WVU finished the nonconference slate undefeated at 16-0. WVU has started the season with five consecutive wins four times under coach Mike Carey: 5-0 (2016-17), 16-0 (2010-11), 9-0 (2004-05) and 10-0 (2002-03).
Through five games, Martin leads the Mountaineers with 21.4 points per game followed by Muldrow’s 15.0 ppg. Lanay Montgomery is the team’s top rebounder with 9.6 boards per game. Chania Ray continues to pace the Big 12 Conference with 6.8 assists per game.
West Virginia’s scoring defense of 47.4 and field goal percentage defense of 27.6 percent (79-of-286) ranks in the top 10 nationally.
The Mountaineers and Tigers (5-0) meet for the first time on Thursday. The winner will be the champion of the Savannah Invitational. Overall, West Virginia is 5-22 against SEC opponents with the last win coming against Ole Miss (86-56) on Nov. 15, 2013.
Auburn has wins over Troy (61-52), North Carolina A&T (68-36), East Carolina (61-52), Ball State (54-40) and Marist (52-51). Preseason All-SEC Second Team selection Brandy Montgomery leads the Tigers with 16.2 points and 3.2 rebounds. Katie Frerking paces Auburn with 9.0 rebounds and 19 assists. Janiah McKay is nearly in double-figure scoring with 9.2 points per game.
Auburn is second nationally with a 46.2 scoring defense, second in turnovers forced (30.4) and sixth with 16.4 steals per game. The Tigers shoot just 35.9 percent (110-of-306) from the field and average 59.2 points per game. AU, under fifth-year head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy, was predicted to finish sixth in the SEC as voted by the league’s coaches.
After Thursday evening’s contest, No. 19/23 WVU returns to Morgantown to play host to High Point on Sunday, Nov. 27. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. at the WVU Coliseum. Fans can purchase tickets online at
WVUGAME.com or by calling the Mountaineer Ticket Office at 1-800-WVU GAME.
