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WVU Faces K-State in Big 12 Quarterfinal
March 04, 2016 10:49 AM | Women's Basketball
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - The No. 3-seed West Virginia University women’s basketball team opens the 2016 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship against No. 6-seed Kansas State on Saturday, March 5. Tipoff for the quarterfinal game is set for 9:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. CT at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, home of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.
Saturday’s contest will be televised locally on ROOT SPORTS Pittsburgh and regionally on FOX Sports Networks. Jeff Culhane and Liz Repella will call the game 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.
No. 22-ranked West Virginia finished third in the Big 12 regular season after compiling a 23-8 overall record and a 12-6 mark in Big 12 action. The No. 3-seed is the second-highest for the Mountaineers since earning a share of the Big 12 regular-season title and a No. 2-seed in 2014. WVU exceeded expectations, finishing three spots higher than predicted in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
WVU and Kansas State (18-11, 8-10 Big 12) meet for the third time this year after the Mountaineers swept the regular-season series. WVU won, 72-53, in Manhattan, Kansas, on Jan. 6 and picked up a 64-44 victory over the Wildcats on Feb. 6 in Morgantown. In the two games combined, WVU shot 55.8 percent (53-of-95) compared from the field to K-State’s 28.2 percent. The Mountaineers made 15 three-pointers in the two contests, including 10 in Manhattan on Jan. 6.
“These girls deserve a lot of credit. They have got better as the year has gone along,” coach Mike Carey said. “Right now, we are shooting the ball very well. We were creating a lot of turnovers and hitting threes when we played Kansas State. They are playing well right now. Even the last two games they lost were close. They are playing a lot better. I think they are in the NCAA Tournament also. This is a big game for both of us.”
The Mountaineers are second in the league in field goal percentage (44.3 percent) and field goal percentage defense (34.5 percent). WVU has scored 80 or more points in three consecutive games – the first time since the 1991-92 team scored 80+ in three contests to close the regular season. West Virginia has been strong from the three-point line as of late, knocking down 13 triples in each of the last two games against Oklahoma State and Iowa State.
Earlier this week, four Mountaineers were honored with Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Awards. Bria Holmes garnered unanimous All-Big 12 First Team accolades for the third consecutive year, joining Rosemary Kosiorek as WVU’s only player to grab three first team all-conference honors. Holmes is second in the league in scoring with 16.9 points per game. She is 64 points away from becoming the third Mountaineer to reach 2,000-points. The New Haven, Connecticut, native is the Big 12’s active career scoring leader with 1,936 points.
Lanay Montgomery was named All-Big 12 Second Team and to the All-Defensive Team. The junior led WVU with 8.2 rebounds per game and scored 8.8 points and. Her 61.6 field goal percentage and 2.7 blocks per game are second in the league. Montgomery’s 219 career blocks are third all-time at West Virginia and 10th all-time on the Big 12’s career list.
Tynice Martin was tabbed the Big 12 Freshman of the Year, as well as earning a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. Martin averaged 9.8 points per game overall and 11.2 points per contest in conference games. She was honored as the Big 12’s Freshman of the Week twice and joins Meg Bulger (2004) as the school’s only Freshman of the Year honorees.
Arielle Roberson was named to the All-Big 12 Honorable Mention team. In conference games, Roberson’s 9.6 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game are second in the league. She leads the Big 12 with 3.7 offensive rebounds per game in league games.
The Wildcats have lost two consecutive games, including a 59-51 setback at Oklahoma State on Monday. K-State finished sixth in the Big 12 and is averaging 65.3 points per game. Opponents are scoring 60.9 points per contest. Kansas State leads the Big 12 with 9.2 steals per game and ranks second in the league with 7.1 three-pointers per contest.
All-Big 12 First Team honoree Breanna Lewis paces the Wildcats with 16.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Kindred Wesemann, an All-Big 12 Second Team selection, is averaging 12.6 points per contest and has made a league-leading 79 made three-pointers.
The winner of Saturday evening’s contest will face the winner of the No. 2-seed Texas vs. No. 7-seed TCU/No. 10-seed Kansas. The semifinal game is set for Sunday, March 6 at 5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT in Oklahoma City.
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