Syracuse University
West Virginia University
Orange Hosts WVU for Senior Day
2/28/2010 2:53:59 PM | Women's Basketball
Read Game Notes
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse University women's basketball team (19-9, 6-9) returns home on Monday, March 1 to host No. 8/7 West Virginia in its final regular-season contest of the season. SU will honor seniors Nicole Michael, Vionca Murray, Lynnise Nixon and Juanita Ward before the 7 p.m. tipoff. A win would give the Orange its 20th victory for only the fourth time in program history.
The game can be heard live on SU's flagship station WTLA 1200 AM and 97.7 FM (WSGO 1440 AM and 100.1 FM in Oswego) or on Syracuse's student station WJPZ 89.1 FM. Live video for every Orange game is available on SUAthletics.com via Orange All Access.
Last Time Out
Syracuse had three players score in double-figures, but it could not overcome 24 turnovers and 21 offensive rebounds as it was defeated by DePaul, 74-71, on Feb. 27 at McGrath Arena. Senior forwards Juanita Ward and Nicole Michael led the way with 20 points each, while freshman guard Carmen Tyson-Thomas had 12 points in her first career start. The Blue Demons were led by Anna Martin with a career-best 31 points, including 26 second-half points. The Orange made 46.4 percent (26-56) of its shots, while DePaul shot just 32.4 percent (23-71).
Orange Against the Mountaineers
WVU holds the 11-8 advantage in the all-time series against Syracuse, and has won seven of the last eight meetings, including a 69-68 victory last season in Morgantown. The Orange won the last meeting in the Dome, 73-51, in the regular-season finale on March 3, 2008, which marked the first win against WVU since a 74-46 win on Feb. 23, 2002 at Manley Field House. Syracuse scored the most points against a BIG EAST foe in a 102-88 triumph against the Mountaineers on Feb. 10, 1999, which was also the last time SU reached the 100-point mark.
Last Meeting
In a game featuring eight lead changes in the last four minutes, the Orange lost by a one-point margin, 69-68, at the WVU Coliseum on Feb. 28, 2009. Chandrea Jones led the Orange with 27 points, while Nicole Michael registered a double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Michael and Jones combined for 28 of SU's 31 second-half points and 49 of Syracuse's 68 points, all together.
Scouting the Mountaineers
West Virginia is 26-3 overall and 13-2 in the BIG EAST this season after last defeating Marquette, 69-56, on Feb. 27 at WVU Coliseum. WVU was led by Korinne Campbell with a career-high 21 points, while Madina Ali had a team-best 11 rebounds. The Mountaineers held the Golden Eagles to 32.2 percent (19-59) shooting from the field, while shooting 54.2 percent (26-48) on its own. The Mountaineers' current No. 7 ranking is the highest ranking in program history, while West Virginia is just one of 15 schools in the national to have no seniors on its roster. The Mountaineers have held 24 of its 29 opponents to less than 60 points this season and its only three losses have come at the hands of Top Five teams (No. 1 UConn, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Notre Dame). WVU is led by Repella with 14.2 points per game, while Campbell (11.6), Bussie (10.6) and Miles (10.0) round out the double-figure scorers.
