MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -
The No. 24-ranked West Virginia University women’s basketball team concludes a two-game homestand against Iowa State with a 7 p.m. matchup at the WVU Coliseum on Wednesday, Feb. 10.
West Virginia (18-6, 7-4 Big 12) shot its highest mark from the field in league play en route to a 64-44 win over Kansas State on Saturday. The Mountaineers returned to the Associated Press poll for the third time this season, entering the poll at No. 24 on Monday. The Cyclones (12-10, 4-7) have dropped six of their last seven games, including a 65-49 loss at No. 6 Texas last Saturday.
West Virginia and Iowa State meet for the first time this season. Overall, WVU holds a 5-2 edge in the all-time season. Last year, the two squads split the series with each team winning at home. In the previous meeting in Morgantown on Feb. 21, WVU climbed back from a 10-point halftime deficit to win 54-52 over the Cyclones.
“They’ll play us some diamond-and-one, they’ll play some 2-3 and play some soft man,” said coach Mike Carey. “We’ll see a little bit of everything. We work on it, so we’ll be ready for it. They shoot a lot of threes. Their leading scorer is a four player (Seanna Johnson). We have four games left and three on the road. We have to take care of business here at home.”
Admission to Wednesday’s contest is $1 courtesy of United Bank. Additionally, the first 500 fans in attendance will receive a WVU Big 12 t-shirt. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting WVUGAME.com and selecting the print-at-home option or calling the ticket office at 1-800-WVU GAME.
A free video stream link will be provided at WVUsports.com. Jeff Culhane and Liz Repella will call the action on the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG. Listen to the contest on various affiliates across the state, online at WVUsports.com or by using the TuneIn Radio app.
West Virginia is second in the Big 12 and 23rd in the NCAA with a 44.9 field goal percentage. The Mountaineer defense is holding its opponents 33.7 percent shooting, which is third in the league and eighth nationally. WVU’s 6.4 blocks per game pace the Big 12 and are sixth nationally.
Senior Bria Holmes continues to lead the Mountaineers with 16.8 points per game. Holmes is also the team’s top assists leader, handing out an average of 3.6 per game. The New Haven, Connecticut, native remains the Big 12’s active career scoring leader with 1,814 points.
Teana Muldrow is second on the team with 10.7 points per game, while freshman Tynice Martin follows with 9.5 points per contest. Lanay Montgomery leads the Mountaineers with 8.3 rebounds per game, while scoring 9.3 points per game. Montgomery is second in the Big 12 with a 61.0 field goal percentage and 2.8 blocks per contest.
ISU has struggled lately, but snapped a five-game losing skid with a 63-53 win at Kansas on Feb. 2. The Cyclones are averaging 70.0 points per game and giving up 65.7. ISU is third in the Big 12 with 6.8 made three-pointers per contest. The Cyclones lead the conference in fewest fouls and fewest turnovers per game.
Seanna Johnson leads Iowa State and is second in the league with 17.0 points per game. Johnson’s team-leading 9.7 rebounding average ranks third in the Big 12. Freshman Bridget Carleton is averaging double-figures with 12.8 points per game, followed by Jadda Buckley’s 11.1 points per contest.
Following Wednesday’s contest with the Cyclones, WVU opens a stretch of facing three ranked opponents. The Mountaineers visit No. 20 Oklahoma State on Saturday, Feb. 13, in Stillwater.
