Photo by: Katie MacCrory
WVU’s Season Continues in WNIT
March 20, 2019 07:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's basketball team will start postseason play on Thursday when the Mountaineers host Rider in the first round of the 2019 Postseason WNIT. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. inside the WVU Coliseum.
Dan Zangrilli and Ayana Dunning will have the call for the Mountaineer Sports Network from Learfield IMG College. The game will air on Jack-FM 100.9, as well as various affiliates across the state, the TuneIn Radio app and WVUsports.com. A free live stream is available on WVUsports.com.
Tickets are $5 if purchased in advance at WVUGAME.com. At the WVU Coliseum ticket window on Thursday, tickets will be $7 dollars for adults, while youth tickets are $5. Carey's Crew members receive free admission courtesy of United Bank, while students are also free. A valid student ID or Carey's Crew membership card must be shown to receive the free ticket. A discounted group rate of $3 is available but must be purchased in advance. To purchase tickets, visit WVUGAME.com or call 1-800-WVU GAME.
West Virginia returns to the WNIT for the second straight season and the fifth time overall in 2019. It marks WVU's 18th postseason appearance and the 13th straight for the Mountaineers. Most recently, West Virginia advanced to the WNIT semifinals in 2018, falling to rival Virginia Tech by a score of 64-61.
"This is the best field I've ever been in in the WNIT," coach Mike Carey said. "You look at all the schools that are in it, and you could play Villanova, Ohio State, Virginia Tech... it just goes on and on and that's just on our side of the bracket. It's a very strong WNIT."
The Mountaineers are coming off a 72-59 loss to K-State in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on March 9. Senior forward Naomi Davenport had a team-best 14 points to go with six assists and a pair of steals while freshman forward Kari Niblack, who was named the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year, had 13 points and five rebounds. Redshirt junior guard Tynice Martin, senior center Theresa Ekhelar and senior guard Katrina Pardee each had nine points. Ekhelar had a team-best nine rebounds, while Pardee scored all of her points from beyond the arc. West Virginia's 25 turnovers against the Wildcats were a season high.
Thursday is the first-ever meeting between West Virginia and Rider though it is the Mountaineers' second game of the season against a MAAC opponent, as WVU previously downed Niagara on Dec. 29.
Rider enters the matchup with a 19-12 overall record and a 14-4 mark in league play after falling to Marist, 62-52, in the MAAC Tournament semifinals. The Broncs average 62.7 points and 35.2 rebounds per game and are shooting 39.8 percent from the field, 31.5 percent on 3-pointers and 71.7 percent from the free-throw line.
Four players average in double-figure scoring, led by junior guard Stella Johnson's 18.8 points per game. Johnson also leads the team in assists with 140 and boasts a team-best 80 steals on the season. Junior forward Amari Johnson leads the way with 7.0 rebounds per game and also averages 10.4 points per contest while junior forward Lea Favre and senior guard Lexi Posset average 10.6 and 11.5 points per game, respectively.
The winner will advance to face either Villanova or Old Dominion in the second round.
Dan Zangrilli and Ayana Dunning will have the call for the Mountaineer Sports Network from Learfield IMG College. The game will air on Jack-FM 100.9, as well as various affiliates across the state, the TuneIn Radio app and WVUsports.com. A free live stream is available on WVUsports.com.
Tickets are $5 if purchased in advance at WVUGAME.com. At the WVU Coliseum ticket window on Thursday, tickets will be $7 dollars for adults, while youth tickets are $5. Carey's Crew members receive free admission courtesy of United Bank, while students are also free. A valid student ID or Carey's Crew membership card must be shown to receive the free ticket. A discounted group rate of $3 is available but must be purchased in advance. To purchase tickets, visit WVUGAME.com or call 1-800-WVU GAME.
West Virginia returns to the WNIT for the second straight season and the fifth time overall in 2019. It marks WVU's 18th postseason appearance and the 13th straight for the Mountaineers. Most recently, West Virginia advanced to the WNIT semifinals in 2018, falling to rival Virginia Tech by a score of 64-61.
"This is the best field I've ever been in in the WNIT," coach Mike Carey said. "You look at all the schools that are in it, and you could play Villanova, Ohio State, Virginia Tech... it just goes on and on and that's just on our side of the bracket. It's a very strong WNIT."
The Mountaineers are coming off a 72-59 loss to K-State in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on March 9. Senior forward Naomi Davenport had a team-best 14 points to go with six assists and a pair of steals while freshman forward Kari Niblack, who was named the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year, had 13 points and five rebounds. Redshirt junior guard Tynice Martin, senior center Theresa Ekhelar and senior guard Katrina Pardee each had nine points. Ekhelar had a team-best nine rebounds, while Pardee scored all of her points from beyond the arc. West Virginia's 25 turnovers against the Wildcats were a season high.
Thursday is the first-ever meeting between West Virginia and Rider though it is the Mountaineers' second game of the season against a MAAC opponent, as WVU previously downed Niagara on Dec. 29.
Rider enters the matchup with a 19-12 overall record and a 14-4 mark in league play after falling to Marist, 62-52, in the MAAC Tournament semifinals. The Broncs average 62.7 points and 35.2 rebounds per game and are shooting 39.8 percent from the field, 31.5 percent on 3-pointers and 71.7 percent from the free-throw line.
Four players average in double-figure scoring, led by junior guard Stella Johnson's 18.8 points per game. Johnson also leads the team in assists with 140 and boasts a team-best 80 steals on the season. Junior forward Amari Johnson leads the way with 7.0 rebounds per game and also averages 10.4 points per contest while junior forward Lea Favre and senior guard Lexi Posset average 10.6 and 11.5 points per game, respectively.
The winner will advance to face either Villanova or Old Dominion in the second round.
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballMark Kellogg, Meme Wheeler & Riley Makalusky | UCF
Wednesday, February 11
Mark Kellogg, Sydney Shaw & Gia Cooke | Arizona
Saturday, February 07
Mark Kellogg | Colorado
Thursday, February 05
Mark Kellogg,Jordan Harrison & Meme Wheeler | Baylor
Sunday, February 01
