Freshman Nicole has recorded three consecutive double-doubles, the first SU player to accomplish the feat since 2003.
Orange Seeks Third BIG EAST Victory at West Virginia
1/30/2007 4:44:20 PM | Women's Basketball
Game Notes
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The Syracuse University women’s basketball team (8-13, 2-6 BIG EAST) will attempt to earn its third BIG EAST triumph of the season when it travels to Morgantown, W. Va. to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers (14-7, 5-3 BIG EAST) on Wed., Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. The game can be heard live for FREE on suathletics.com with Brian Higgins calling the action. The game can also be heard live on WJPZ 89.1 FM and live stats are available on MSNsportsNET.com.
Listen Here!
The Syracuse University women’s basketball team (8-13, 2-6 BIG EAST) will attempt to earn its third BIG EAST triumph of the season when it travels to Morgantown, W. Va. to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers (14-7, 5-3 BIG EAST) on Wed., Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. The game can be heard live for FREE on suathletics.com with Brian Higgins calling the action. The game can also be heard live on WJPZ 89.1 FM and live stats are available on MSNsportsNET.com.
The Orange is riding a four-game losing steak. SU lost a 76-45 decision at No. 7/5 Connecticut on Jan. 13 and came up short against RV/25 Pittsburgh, 84-75, at the Carrier Dome on Jan. 16. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish emerged victorious, 83-55, at the Joyce Center on Jan. 20 and -/RV USF took home a 78-61 win at the Dome in SU’s last outing on Jan. 28. The Mountaineers are the hottest team in the BIG EAST, having won six consecutive games. WVU defeated 24/24 DePaul, Providence, Seton Hall, Villanova, Marshall and Georgetown, 69-47, in its last game on Jan. 27.
MISS DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Freshman Nicole Michael scored 18 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for her third consecutive double-double and sixth double-double of the season against -/RV USF on Jan. 28. Michael was 8-of-9 (.889) from the charity stripe and added one assist and one block in a season-high 39 minutes of action. Her 10 defensive rebounds also matched her season best. Michael is the first player since Shannon Perry to recorded three consecutive double-doubles. Perry recorded five straight double-doubles in the last five games of the 2002-03 season. Michael currently leads the Orange in points (16.4) and rebounds (8.5). She is second in steals (1.5) and third in assists (1.8), field-goal percentage (.429) and free-throw percentage, making 68.2 percent of her attempts (105-154). Michael’s 105 free throws made put her sixth on SU’s single-season record chart and her 154 free throw attempts put her fifth. Michael’s six double-doubles rank third on the BIG EAST double-double chart. The freshman has tallied at least 10 points and five rebounds in 16 of SU’s 21 games and has scored in double-figures in eight consecutive games putting her fifth on the BIG EAST double-figure active scoring streak chart. She has led Syracuse in scoring and rebounding 12 times, steals nine times, blocks six times and assists once. Michael is seventh overall and first for freshman in the BIG EAST (all games) in points, an average which is also 91st in the country. She is also seventh overall and first for freshman in rebounding in the conference (all games), an average which is also good for 84th in the nation. She is third overall and first for freshman in defensive rebounds (all games) at 6.14.
IN THE MIDDLE OF IT ALL
Junior Vaida Sipaviciute scored 18 points, seven rebounds, three blocks, one assist in 40 minutes of action versus -/RV USF. Six of her 18 points were from behind the 3-point line (2-3). The junior is 19th on Syracuse’s career scoring chart with 943 points and fourth on SU’s career blocks chart with 165. She is first on the team in blocks (1.9), field-goal percentage, making 117 of her 246 attempts (.476) and free-throw percentage, making 68.4 percent (54-79) of her attempts. She is second in points (13.9) and third in rebounds (5.6). Sipaviciute has led the Orange in blocks 17 times, scoring six times, rebounding three times, steals twice and assists once. She has scored in double-figures in 18 of SU’s 21 games, including four consecutive. The junior is fourth in the BIG EAST (all games) and 45th in the nation in blocks. Sipaviciute is also18th in the BIG EAST (all games) in scoring. In BIG EAST games only, she is 15th in field-goal percentage, making 48.5 percent (48-99) of her attempts.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
The West Virginia Mountaineers (14-7, 5-3 BIG EAST) extended the longest current winning streak in the BIG EAST with a 69-47 victory against at Georgetown on Jan. 27. WVU has won six consecutive. The Mountaineers also won for the first time in eight trips to GU. Junior center Olayinka Sanni had a game-high 26 points to reach double figures for the 10th straight game. Junior forward Chakhia Cole added 18 points and a career-high nine assists, while junior guard LaQuita Owens added 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Owens currently leads the BIG EAST with 54 3-pointers. With the score tied 19-19 WVU went on a 19-0 run, and led 39-21 at halftime. WVU shot 51.9 percent from the field (14-of-27) and finished the game 52.1 percent (25-of-48). WVU also held GU to just 28.8 percent from the field on 15 field goals. Head coach Mike Carey recorded his 100th victory at West Virginia.
Olayinka Sanni leads the way for the Mountaineers with a team-high 14.1 points, team-best 7.3 rebounds and a team-high 1.1 blocks. LaQuita Owens has added 12.0 points, 5-2 rebounds and a team-best 1.8 steals. Chakhia Cole has contributed 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and a team-high 3.2 assists. Sparkle Davis is averaging 8.8 points and 3.0 rebounds. Lateefah Joye has donated 6.1 points and 4.2 rebounds steals.
Mike Carey, (100-74 (.575)) is in her sixth season as head coach of the Mountaineers women’s basketball team. WVU has won six straight, the most consecutive wins since the 2005-06 season. WVU has won five straight BIG EAST games. Owens has made 15 of her last 29 3-point attempts. WVU has 110 points off of 88 opponent turnovers in the last five wins. WVU defeated Marshall 76-54 on Jan. 24 in the Chesapeake Energy Capital Classic at the Charleston Civic Center. Cole had a game-high 20 points and collected 11 rebounds. WVU’s victory versus Villanova on Jan. 20 snapped a 13-game regular-season losing streak to the Wildcats.
THE SYRACUSE-WEST VIRGINIA SERIES
West Virginia holds a slim 9-7 margin versus the Orange in the all-time series, including victories in the last five meetings. SU’s last triumph against the Mountaineers came on Feb. 23, 2002 at Manley Field House by the score of 74-46. The Orange scored its most points ever versus a BIG EAST foe in a 102-88 triumph against WVU on Feb. 10, 1999. That same game also marks the last time Syracuse reached the 100-point mark. West Virginia’s Kate Bulger scored a series-best 36 points in a 77-74 Mountaineer victory on Feb. 26, 2003. SU’s Beth Record scored an SU-high 30 points in the Orange’s last win (93-54) in Morgantown on Feb. 3, 2001. Sipaviciute blocked a series record five blocks the last time SU was in Morgantown on Jan. 26, 2005.
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