West Virginia looks to finished the season undefeated in non-conference games for the third time in history.
Off to the second-best start in program history, the 11-0 West Virginia Mountaineers are hoping to finish the non-conference portion of the schedule undefeated for the third time in school history when they face off at home against Mount St. Mary’s this Wednesday, Dec. 21.
Now named the NCAA.com Team of the Week, West Virginia has climbed to No. 13 in the latest The Associated Press Top 25 Poll released on Monday.
West Virginia moves up one spot to No. 13 in the @AP_Top25 Poll. #HailWV pic.twitter.com/PyKJHEaxmF
— WVUWomen'sBasketball (@WVUWBB) December 19, 2016
The Mountaineers latest win was a 107-40 decision over Longwood on Saturday in Charleston, showcasing their depth, defense and teamwork in the game.
Tynice Martin led the Mountaineers with 21 points for her sixth career 20-point performance. The Mountaineers had 32 team assists on the night, with Martin dishing out a career-high seven and matching a season-high with six rebounds. Lanay Montgomery made 9-of-9 from the field and finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Junior guard Teana Muldrow also went a perfect 7-of-7 from the field to score 17 points, while dishing out five assists and grabbing four rebounds. Alexis Brewer eclipsed double figures with a career-high 16 points in 28 minutes. Kristina King rounded out West Virginia’s double-digit scoring with 11 points, and sophomore Katrina Pardee led the team with a career-high 10 assists and zero turnovers in 21 minutes. Desiree Rhodes paced the team with nine rebounds.
Congrats to our Player of the Game Alexis Brewer after scoring a career-high 16 points yesterday vs. Longwood. pic.twitter.com/5Ede2VQOv2
— WVUWomen'sBasketball (@WVUWBB) December 18, 2016
A 16-4 run and another 16-0 spurt in the first quarter set the tone for the Mountaineers. West Virginia shot 71.4 percent (25-of-35) in the first half. Although West Virginia cooled down in the second half, the Mountaineers finished the game shooting 56.8 percent (42-of-74) from the field. The Mountaineers 32 assists on 42 field goals matched 32 assists dished out against Indiana State (Nov. 23, 1984) and Duquesne (Nov. 7, 1984) for second in program history. Longwood became the 12th consecutive West Virginia opponent to shoot less than 40 percent from the field, connecting on only 23.5 percent, 12 of 51 from the floor.
Check out the 's from tonight's win over Longwood . pic.twitter.com/uxejh2uJ06
— WVUWomen'sBasketball (@WVUWBB) December 18, 2016
Saturday’s victory gave West Virginia its 11th straight win, tying for the seventh-longest win streak. Looking forward to a tough Big 12 schedule, which starts Dec. 29 at TCU, West Virginia this season has already claimed the Savannah Invitational Tournament with wins over North Carolina A&T and East Carolina during Thanksgiving week and defeated Ole Miss, 66-61, in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Dec. 4.
In 2015-16, West Virginia reached the postseason for a school-record 10th consecutive year. The Mountaineers finished 25-10 overall and placed third in the Big 12 with a 12-6 mark. The Mountaineers reached the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Mountaineers were tabbed fourth in the Big 12 preseason coaches’ poll behind Baylor, Texas and Oklahoma.
