WVU Begins Plitzuweit Era on Thursday vs. USC Upstate
November 09, 2022 01:50 PM | Women's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's basketball team is set to open its 2022-23 season on Thursday, Nov. 10, as the Mountaineers welcome USC Upstate to the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown.
Tipoff against the Spartans is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and gates open at 6 p.m. Thursday's contest against USCU will be broadcast live on the Mountaineer Sports Network, including 100.9 WSZT-FM, with Andrew Caridi on the call. Fans also can listen to the game on the Varsity Network App.
Additionally, Thursday's game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now, with Nick Farrell and Warren Baker on the call. Live stats and game notes will be available on WVUsports.com.
Tickets for Thursday's contest can be purchased at WVUGAME.com or by visiting the Mountaineer Ticket Office, located inside the Gold Gate of the WVU Coliseum. West Virginia's season opener is the 'Veterans Day Game,' as the team welcomes all retired and active-duty military personnel to attend free of charge, with a valid military I.D.
Additionally, fans can pick up the 2022-23 WVU women's basketball schedule poster and a special poster commemorating coach Dawn Plitzuweit at Thursday's contest. Moreover, the first 250 fans in attendance will receive a special WVU Veterans Day hat. Redshirt sophomore guard Kyah Watson will be available postgame to sign autographs.
Thursday's game marks the beginning of coach Plitzuweit's tenure at West Virginia, after becoming the school's sixth women's basketball coach on March 31, 2022.
In 15 seasons as a head coach, Plitzuweit owns a career record of 346-129 (.728), including a 229-91 (.728) mark at the NCAA Division I level. During that span, she also has totaled 14 winning seasons and nine 20-win seasons, including two 30-win campaigns.
West Virginia and USC Upstate meet for the third time on Thursday evening. WVU has won both matchups in the series and is averaging 83 points per game against USCU. The Mountaineers have limited the Spartans to 39 points per game in the previous two meetings.
In her 15 seasons as a head coach, Plitzuweit is 7-1 against USC Upstate. A Plitzuweit-led team last met the Spartans on March 17, 2016, when she was the coach of Northern Kentucky. NKU fell to USCU, 71-69, in the opening round of the 2016 Women's Basketball Invitational.
In her previous eight meetings against USC Upstate, Plitzuweit's teams have averaged 73.9 points per game and held the opposition to 61.4 points per game.
West Virginia is 33-16 all-time in season openers and has won the last eight openers, dating back to the 2014-15 season. During that stretch, WVU is averaging 81.9 points in season openers and has limited the opposition to 42.9 points in those contests. The Mountaineers are averaging 69.7 points per game all time in season openers.
What's more, West Virginia is 20-3 in season openers since the 1999-00 season.
West Virginia returns seven players from last year's squad, including fifth-year senior guard Madisen Smith and sophomore guard JJ Quinerly. Additionally, six newcomers join the team to make up WVU's 13-woman squad.
A native of Greenville, South Carolina, Smith has played in 112 games, including a team-best 107 starts, in her career. She has amassed 885 points, 429 assists, 255 rebounds and 125 steals during her first four seasons at WVU. In all-time program history, Smith is No. 10 in assists and is tied for No. 10 in starts. She also ranks in the top 15 in program history in minutes played and is the only Mountaineer with multiple 50-minute games in her career.
A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Quinerly averaged 8.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game in 2021-22. She was one of four Mountaineers to play in all 30 games, earning 12 starts, a year ago.
Smith and Quinerly were honorable mention selections on this year's Preseason All-Big 12 Team.
USC Upstate opened its 2022-23 season on Nov. 7, with a 69-51 win over Southern Wesleyan in Spartanburg. Isabella Geraci and Cali Levine led the team with 14 points apiece. Geraci currently leads the team in points (14), assists (3) and steals (4).
The Spartans are led by first-year coach Jason Williams, who holds a career record of 172-91.
Tipoff against the Spartans is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and gates open at 6 p.m. Thursday's contest against USCU will be broadcast live on the Mountaineer Sports Network, including 100.9 WSZT-FM, with Andrew Caridi on the call. Fans also can listen to the game on the Varsity Network App.
Additionally, Thursday's game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now, with Nick Farrell and Warren Baker on the call. Live stats and game notes will be available on WVUsports.com.
Tickets for Thursday's contest can be purchased at WVUGAME.com or by visiting the Mountaineer Ticket Office, located inside the Gold Gate of the WVU Coliseum. West Virginia's season opener is the 'Veterans Day Game,' as the team welcomes all retired and active-duty military personnel to attend free of charge, with a valid military I.D.
Additionally, fans can pick up the 2022-23 WVU women's basketball schedule poster and a special poster commemorating coach Dawn Plitzuweit at Thursday's contest. Moreover, the first 250 fans in attendance will receive a special WVU Veterans Day hat. Redshirt sophomore guard Kyah Watson will be available postgame to sign autographs.
Thursday's game marks the beginning of coach Plitzuweit's tenure at West Virginia, after becoming the school's sixth women's basketball coach on March 31, 2022.
In 15 seasons as a head coach, Plitzuweit owns a career record of 346-129 (.728), including a 229-91 (.728) mark at the NCAA Division I level. During that span, she also has totaled 14 winning seasons and nine 20-win seasons, including two 30-win campaigns.
West Virginia and USC Upstate meet for the third time on Thursday evening. WVU has won both matchups in the series and is averaging 83 points per game against USCU. The Mountaineers have limited the Spartans to 39 points per game in the previous two meetings.
In her 15 seasons as a head coach, Plitzuweit is 7-1 against USC Upstate. A Plitzuweit-led team last met the Spartans on March 17, 2016, when she was the coach of Northern Kentucky. NKU fell to USCU, 71-69, in the opening round of the 2016 Women's Basketball Invitational.
In her previous eight meetings against USC Upstate, Plitzuweit's teams have averaged 73.9 points per game and held the opposition to 61.4 points per game.
West Virginia is 33-16 all-time in season openers and has won the last eight openers, dating back to the 2014-15 season. During that stretch, WVU is averaging 81.9 points in season openers and has limited the opposition to 42.9 points in those contests. The Mountaineers are averaging 69.7 points per game all time in season openers.
What's more, West Virginia is 20-3 in season openers since the 1999-00 season.
West Virginia returns seven players from last year's squad, including fifth-year senior guard Madisen Smith and sophomore guard JJ Quinerly. Additionally, six newcomers join the team to make up WVU's 13-woman squad.
A native of Greenville, South Carolina, Smith has played in 112 games, including a team-best 107 starts, in her career. She has amassed 885 points, 429 assists, 255 rebounds and 125 steals during her first four seasons at WVU. In all-time program history, Smith is No. 10 in assists and is tied for No. 10 in starts. She also ranks in the top 15 in program history in minutes played and is the only Mountaineer with multiple 50-minute games in her career.
A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Quinerly averaged 8.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game in 2021-22. She was one of four Mountaineers to play in all 30 games, earning 12 starts, a year ago.
Smith and Quinerly were honorable mention selections on this year's Preseason All-Big 12 Team.
USC Upstate opened its 2022-23 season on Nov. 7, with a 69-51 win over Southern Wesleyan in Spartanburg. Isabella Geraci and Cali Levine led the team with 14 points apiece. Geraci currently leads the team in points (14), assists (3) and steals (4).
The Spartans are led by first-year coach Jason Williams, who holds a career record of 172-91.
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