Friday, November 10
Morgantown, W.Va.
7:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
vs
Central Connecticut State
Photo by: MG Ellis
No. 13/15 WVU Opens Season vs. CCSU
November 09, 2017 04:52 PM | Women's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The defending Big 12 Tournament Champions open the 2017-18 season at home, as the No. 13/15 West Virginia University women's basketball team hosts Central Connecticut State on Friday in a 7 p.m. ET tip.
In honor of Veteran's Day, the Mountaineers will celebrate Military & First Responder Appreciation Day. All active and veteran military members and first responders will receive free admission with a valid ID. Tickets are available WVUGAME.com, by calling 1-800-WVU-GAME or at the Mountaineer Ticket Office, located at the Gold Gate of the WVU Coliseum. The cost is $5 for general admission or $3 for youth/senior and groups of 10 or more. Students receive free admission with a WVU ID.
Lanny Frattare and Ayana "YaYa" Dunning will have the radio call on The Ticket: WMMN-FM, 95.7 in Morgantown and WMMN-AM 920 in Fairmont, WVUsports.com and the WVU Gameday app. A live video stream will also be provided at WVUsports.com.
West Virginia went 24-11 overall and 8-10 in Big 12 play during the 2016-17 campaign, which featured a magical run through the Big 12 Tournament. The Mountaineers knocked off Texas and Oklahoma before upsetting No. 2 Baylor to win the program's first Big 12 Tournament title. WVU made its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance, advancing to the second round before falling at Maryland.
This season's team features six returning letterwinners, including four starters. However, 2017 Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Player Tynice Martin will be unavailable until December due to an injury sustained at Team U.S.A. U23 tryouts while junior forward Anja Martin will be out for the season. Senior forward Teana Muldrow, senior guard Chania Ray and junior guard Katrina Pardee return to the starting lineup, while forward Kristina King will be called upon as well in her senior season and junior college transfer Naomi Davenport will be called up to start in the absence of Martin.
Redshirt freshmen Krystaline McCune and Nia Staples look to make their WVU debuts after sitting out due to injury in 2016-17. Freshmen Destiny Harden, Ashley Jones and Makayla Stanley could all see minutes early on, while center Theresa Ekhelar will join the lineup in December after transferring to West Virginia from Ohio State last season. Guard Kysre Gondrezick is a new addition as well, but will sit the 2017-18 season after transferring from Michigan this summer.
"(At this point in the season) it's all about us right now," said coach Mike Carey, who enters his 17th season at WVU. "We'll know what defensively what the other team does, a lot of their quick hitters and stuff. My main concern is what we do. No matter what the other team does on offense, we should be prepared and be able to execute against them. That's my concern."
Martin and Muldrow have racked up honors as of late. Martin was named to the 2017-18 All-Big 12 Preseason Team, and was recently announced as a candidate for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, presented to the nation's top shooting guard. Muldrow was named to the watch list of the inaugural Cheryl Miller Award, which will be presented to the nation's top small forward. Both awards will be presented at the 2018 NCAA Women's Final Four in Columbus, Ohio.
Friday marks just the second all-time meeting between West Virginia and CCSU. The Mountaineers previously earned a 63-37 victory at the WVU Coliseum in January of 2011. Coached by Beryl Piper, the Blue Devils finished 11-20 last season and return six letterwinners, including three starters, to the lineup.
The Mountaineers are 29-15 all-time in season openers as the program enters its 45th season. WVU has won three straight season-opening contests and is on a 32-game win streak inside the WVU Coliseum. The team's lost nonconference loss at home came at the hands of Ohio State in November of 2013.
In honor of Veteran's Day, the Mountaineers will celebrate Military & First Responder Appreciation Day. All active and veteran military members and first responders will receive free admission with a valid ID. Tickets are available WVUGAME.com, by calling 1-800-WVU-GAME or at the Mountaineer Ticket Office, located at the Gold Gate of the WVU Coliseum. The cost is $5 for general admission or $3 for youth/senior and groups of 10 or more. Students receive free admission with a WVU ID.
Lanny Frattare and Ayana "YaYa" Dunning will have the radio call on The Ticket: WMMN-FM, 95.7 in Morgantown and WMMN-AM 920 in Fairmont, WVUsports.com and the WVU Gameday app. A live video stream will also be provided at WVUsports.com.
West Virginia went 24-11 overall and 8-10 in Big 12 play during the 2016-17 campaign, which featured a magical run through the Big 12 Tournament. The Mountaineers knocked off Texas and Oklahoma before upsetting No. 2 Baylor to win the program's first Big 12 Tournament title. WVU made its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance, advancing to the second round before falling at Maryland.
This season's team features six returning letterwinners, including four starters. However, 2017 Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Player Tynice Martin will be unavailable until December due to an injury sustained at Team U.S.A. U23 tryouts while junior forward Anja Martin will be out for the season. Senior forward Teana Muldrow, senior guard Chania Ray and junior guard Katrina Pardee return to the starting lineup, while forward Kristina King will be called upon as well in her senior season and junior college transfer Naomi Davenport will be called up to start in the absence of Martin.
Redshirt freshmen Krystaline McCune and Nia Staples look to make their WVU debuts after sitting out due to injury in 2016-17. Freshmen Destiny Harden, Ashley Jones and Makayla Stanley could all see minutes early on, while center Theresa Ekhelar will join the lineup in December after transferring to West Virginia from Ohio State last season. Guard Kysre Gondrezick is a new addition as well, but will sit the 2017-18 season after transferring from Michigan this summer.
"(At this point in the season) it's all about us right now," said coach Mike Carey, who enters his 17th season at WVU. "We'll know what defensively what the other team does, a lot of their quick hitters and stuff. My main concern is what we do. No matter what the other team does on offense, we should be prepared and be able to execute against them. That's my concern."
Martin and Muldrow have racked up honors as of late. Martin was named to the 2017-18 All-Big 12 Preseason Team, and was recently announced as a candidate for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, presented to the nation's top shooting guard. Muldrow was named to the watch list of the inaugural Cheryl Miller Award, which will be presented to the nation's top small forward. Both awards will be presented at the 2018 NCAA Women's Final Four in Columbus, Ohio.
Friday marks just the second all-time meeting between West Virginia and CCSU. The Mountaineers previously earned a 63-37 victory at the WVU Coliseum in January of 2011. Coached by Beryl Piper, the Blue Devils finished 11-20 last season and return six letterwinners, including three starters, to the lineup.
The Mountaineers are 29-15 all-time in season openers as the program enters its 45th season. WVU has won three straight season-opening contests and is on a 32-game win streak inside the WVU Coliseum. The team's lost nonconference loss at home came at the hands of Ohio State in November of 2013.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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