WVU Survives OT Thriller to Reach WNIT Semis/Will Host Temple on Wednesday
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on March 30, 2015 via Connect-Bridgeport.com
MORGANTOWN (March 29, 2015) –The West Virginia University women’s basketball team overcame a four-point deficit with 30 seconds remaining to force overtime and win, 75-70, over Villanova in the extra period on Sunday to advance to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) semifinals for the first time since 2005.
West Virginia (22-14) trailed by as many as six with three minutes remaining. However, Linda Stepney and Bria Holmes converted two layups in the final 23 seconds to tie the game at 62-62 and send it to extra time. Averee Fields scored the first six points in the extra period to help the Mountaineers push a lead they would never give up.
With Sunday’s victory, WVU set a school single-season record with 18 home victories and has won 17 straight at the Coliseum against non-conference opponents. West Virginia is 2-0 in overtime games this season after picking up a win over Villanova and a 76-69 OT victory over Texas on March 1.
For the third consecutive game, Fields paced the Mountaineers with 22 points and 12 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the year. Holmes had 17 points and a team-high five assists. Stepney reached double figures with 11 points. Senior Crystal Leary had a strong game with eight points and tied a season-high 11 rebounds.
“It was a great team effort and our seniors weren’t ready to go home,” said coach Mike Carey. “I thought the effort by the seniors down the stretch was really good. Villanova is tough to guard and they’re pretty good. Emily Leer is pretty good. We were fortunate to win the game, and we were happy to win the game. It was a great crowd. We couldn’t have come back from five down without the crowd.”
West Virginia finished the game shooting 42.6 percent (26-of-61) from the field, while Villanova knocked down 41.3 percent (26-of-63). VU, one of the top three-point shooting teams in the country, knocked down nine triples in the game. The Mountaineers out-rebounded the Wildcats 47-34 in the contest and outscored Villanova 18-9 in second chance opportunities.
The first half saw 10 lead changes, but West Virginia held on for a 30-27 lead at the break. Both teams traded buckets in the first five minutes with WVU holding a 9-8 edge. The Wildcats used a 7-0 run to push their edge to three. Again, both teams would swap buckets for the next few minutes.
However, West Virginia closed out the half on a 5-2 run for a three-point edge. The Mountaineers shot 40 percent from the field (12-of-30) compared to Villanova’s 48 percent shooting (12-of-25). The Mountaineers dominated the boards 21-13 and scored eight second chance points. Bria Holmes paced WVU with eight points, while Nova’s Emily Leer had nine.
In the second half, WVU held a five-point lead in the first 12 minutes. However, Villanova used an 11-3 run to hold a six-point edge with 2:52 remaining. Buckets from Stepney and Holmes in the final 23 seconds tied the contest.
In overtime, Fields scored the first six of WVU’s 13 points in the period as the Mountaineers secured a berth to the WNIT semifinals. Leer finished the contest with a game-high 29 points for Villanova, and scored her 1,000th point in overtime.
The West Virginia University women’s basketball team will host Temple on Wednesday, April 1 at 7 p.m. at the WVU Coliseum in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) semifinals.
The Mountaineers picked up a thrilling 75-70 overtime win over Villanova, while Temple knocked off Middle Tennessee 69-57 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on Sunday.
All tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m. Monday, March 30 at the Mountaineer Ticket Office inside the Coliseum, at WVUGAME.com and by calling 1-800-WVU GAME. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets online in advance and select the Print-At-Home option to avoid lines at the ticket window on game day.
General admission tickets are $7, while youth tickets are $5. A discounted group rate of $4 is available, but must be purchased in advance. WVU students and Carey’s Crew members receive free admission courtesy of United Bank. A valid student ID or Carey’s Crew membership card must be shown to receive the free ticket.
Season ticket holders can purchase their same reserved seats by calling the Mountaineer Ticket Office at 1-800-WVU GAME before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31. Flex plan tickets cannot be redeemed for WNIT games.
The winner of the semifinal round will play the victor of the Michigan/UCLA game at a campus site to be determined on Saturday, April 4 at 3 p.m. ET.
NOTES:
After collecting a 75-70 overtime win over former BIG EAST foe Villanova today, West Virginia reached the WNIT semifinal round for the second time in program history and for the first time since 2005 … the last time West Virginia played an overtime game was against No. 24 Texas on March 1 … WVU has won six of the last eight contests … the Mountaineers set a school record with 18 wins at home, surpassing the previous best of 17 home victories during the 2009-10 season … West Virginia has 17 consecutive games inside the WVU Coliseum against non-conference opponents, and is 89-6 all-time against non-conference opponents since 2002 … WVU is 19-2 this season when leading at halftime, and is 12-0 when scoring 70 or more points … West Virginia set a new single-season record in offensive rebounds with 546 this season, surpassing 532 o-boards collected during the 2011-12 season … senior forward Averee Fields recorded her eighth double-double of the season, as she paced WVU with 22 points and 12 rebounds … senior Crystal Leary tied a season-high with 11 rebounds … junior Bria Holmes has scored double-figures in 38 of her last 39 games.
Keep up with West Virginia women’s basketball on Instagram and Twitter by following @WVUWBB.
