Post by rainman on Nov 21, 2007 7:17:09 GMT -5
WVU women play No. 1 Tennessee
By Mickey Furfari
For the Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN— The 16th-ranked West Virginia University women’s basketball team takes on defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Tennessee at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Civic Center Coliseum in Charleston.
Both teams are off to 3-0 season’s starts and are loaded with veteran players, the Mountaineers having all five starters back and the Lady Vols four regulars and three other letter-winners.
“We’re looking forward to the game,” WVU coach Mike Carey said. “Win or lose, it’s a great game for us. If we take care of the basketball and rebound, we’ll have a great opportunity.”
Tennessee defeated West Virginia by 66-51 last year at Knoxville, Tenn. But the contest was closer than the final score suggests.
“Except for about the first eight minutes. We played pretty even with them,” Carey recalled. “We’re improved on some areas. We’re going to play hard. We shouldn’t be intimidated.”
This will be the Mountaineers’ first real test of 2007-08. They have defeated Canisius 76-49, St. Francis, Pa., 81-29 and Cornell 93-52.
Tennessee opened its season with victories over Chattanooga 76-56, Oklahoma 70-67 and Texas 92-67.
Olayinka Sanni, 6-2 all-Big East senior center, leads WVU. She is averaging 17.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Senior guard Meg Bulger is next averaging 15.7 ppg and has connected on 10 of 18 attempts from three-point range.
Bulger also is averaging 9.0 rebounds, same as Sanni.
Joining Sanni in the starting lineup will be 5-10 forward Chakhia Cole (15.7 ppg), 5-9 guard LaQuita Owens (9.3), 5-9 Sparkle Davis (6.0) and 5-6 point guard Ashley Powell (1.3).
Bulger is the first player off the bench. She’s steadily improving after having missed a full season and part of another with two major knee injuries.
This will be the sixth meeting between the schools in a series the Lady Vols lead by 5-0. It is the first time they will have met as nationally ranked powers.
By Mickey Furfari
For the Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN— The 16th-ranked West Virginia University women’s basketball team takes on defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Tennessee at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Civic Center Coliseum in Charleston.
Both teams are off to 3-0 season’s starts and are loaded with veteran players, the Mountaineers having all five starters back and the Lady Vols four regulars and three other letter-winners.
“We’re looking forward to the game,” WVU coach Mike Carey said. “Win or lose, it’s a great game for us. If we take care of the basketball and rebound, we’ll have a great opportunity.”
Tennessee defeated West Virginia by 66-51 last year at Knoxville, Tenn. But the contest was closer than the final score suggests.
“Except for about the first eight minutes. We played pretty even with them,” Carey recalled. “We’re improved on some areas. We’re going to play hard. We shouldn’t be intimidated.”
This will be the Mountaineers’ first real test of 2007-08. They have defeated Canisius 76-49, St. Francis, Pa., 81-29 and Cornell 93-52.
Tennessee opened its season with victories over Chattanooga 76-56, Oklahoma 70-67 and Texas 92-67.
Olayinka Sanni, 6-2 all-Big East senior center, leads WVU. She is averaging 17.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Senior guard Meg Bulger is next averaging 15.7 ppg and has connected on 10 of 18 attempts from three-point range.
Bulger also is averaging 9.0 rebounds, same as Sanni.
Joining Sanni in the starting lineup will be 5-10 forward Chakhia Cole (15.7 ppg), 5-9 guard LaQuita Owens (9.3), 5-9 Sparkle Davis (6.0) and 5-6 point guard Ashley Powell (1.3).
Bulger is the first player off the bench. She’s steadily improving after having missed a full season and part of another with two major knee injuries.
This will be the sixth meeting between the schools in a series the Lady Vols lead by 5-0. It is the first time they will have met as nationally ranked powers.
