MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – After grabbing a hard-fought, road win at Texas last time out, the No. 19/21 West Virginia University women's basketball team returns to Morgantown on Wednesday, Feb. 10, as the Mountaineers get set to face Kansas.
Opening tip against the Jayhawks is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, at the WVU Coliseum.
Dan Zangrilli and
Ayana Dunning will call the game for the Mountaineer Sports Network from Learfield IMG College. The game can be found on 100.9 WZST-FM as well as affiliates across the state, the TuneIn Radio App and WVUSports.com. Wednesday's contest also will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Nick Farrell, Warren Baker and Anjelica Trinone on the call. For more information on how to watch Wednesday's game, visit WVUSports.com/Big12Now.
Due to ongoing COVID-19 protocols, and for the overall safety of spectators at indoor events, attendance will be capped at 1,500 spectators. Priority will be given to families and guests of the players and coaching staffs, along with a limited number of WVU students and fans.
Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance by visiting WVUGAME.com or calling 1-800-WVU GAME to avoid lines at the gate on game day. When purchasing online, tickets are $5 each. At the ticket window on game day, any remaining tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for youth and seniors. The discounted online pricing will be available until tip-off.
The Mountaineer Ticket Office, as well as credential pickup located at the Gold Gate, opens an hour before tip-off on game day. WVU students are admitted for free with a valid Student I.D. All tickets are reserved in blocks, ranging from one to six seats, and socially distanced. Fans will be able to utilize the "Pick Your Own Seat" map when selecting seats.
West Virginia (15-2, 9-2 Big 12) and Kansas (7-9, 3-7 Big 12) meet on the basketball court for the 19th time on Wednesday night. The Mountaineers lead the all-time series, 14-4, including a 14-2 mark during the
Mike Carey era. West Virginia has won the last 11 meetings against the Jayhawks, dating back to Feb. 10, 2015. Kansas last defeated WVU on Jan. 24, 2015, a 65-59 victory at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas.
Last time out, the Mountaineers extended their win streak to 10 games, after defeating Texas, 81-75, on Feb. 6, at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.
Led by a career-best, 30-point performance from sophomore guard
Kirsten Deans, the Mountaineers earned the sweep over the Longhorns in the season series for the first time since joining the Big 12 Conference in 2012-13.
Deans became the second Mountaineer to reach the 30-point plateau this season, marking the first time WVU has had multiple 30-point scorers in a season since the 2017-18 campaign.
Additionally, redshirt senior guard
Kysre Gondrezick (20), sophomore forward
Esmery Martinez (12) and junior forward
Kari Niblack (10) also finished in double figures last time out. Martinez paced West Virginia on the glass, grabbing 13 rebounds to record her 10th double-double of the year.
Of note, Gondrezick was named to the midseason watch list for the 2021 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy for Women's Player of the Year on Feb. 9.
Kansas is coming off an 82-72 win against TCU on Feb. 7, in Lawrence. Prior to Sunday's win, the Jayhawks had lost four consecutive games dating back to Jan. 27, which included a pair of losses to Oklahoma State. WVU and KU were originally scheduled to meet on Jan. 2, but the game was postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the Jayhawk's program.
Guard Holly Kersgieter leads the scoring attack for Kansas this season, with a total of 236 points and an average of 15.7 per game. Freshman forward Ioanna Chatzileonti paces the Jayhawks in rebounding (7.9 per game) and blocks (1.5 per game) this year, while guard Zakiyah Franklin holds the team lead in assists, with 56.
Kansas is led by sixth-year head coach Brandon Schneider, who owns a record of 61-106 at KU and a career mark of 462-244.
