Mountaineers Drop Close Contest
The game came down to the last second, as the score was tied at 41 with 6:05 remaining in regulation. A jumper from Providence’s senior guard Rachel Barnes pushed the Friars ahead by two, but the Mountaineers answered on two free throws from sophomore Taylor Palmer to tie the score at 43. Once again, Barnes provided an offensive answer scoring a layup to push the Friars ahead by two. But the Mountaineers responded on free throws again, this time from redshirt-sophomore Christal Caldwell. With the score even at 45 and only 2:37 left in regulation, Barnes made a layup and was fouled. She sank the bonus shot from the line to bring the Friars ahead, 48-45 with 2:26 left to play. A subsequent layup and foul shot from Providence sophomore guard Alicia Cropper brought the score to 51-45 with 1:58 remaining, proving too much for the Mountaineers to overcome. A 3-pointer from Caldwell with 1:05 remaining was the closest West Virginia would come to challenging for the win, as the final three attempt at the buzzer was just off the mark. The Mountaineers (12-5, 3-2 BIG EAST) knew coming into the game that Providence was an excellent rebounding team and had prepared for that. At the game’s conclusion, West Virginia had out-rebounded the Friars (10-8, 2-3 BIG EAST) 45-32, allowing for 10 second-chance points. What really proved the difference in the game were turnovers, as the Friars forced 23 Mountaineer turnovers in comparison to just 13 of their own, earning 16 points from those costly West Virginia errors. Both teams had poor shooting performances, with the Mountaineers converting just 33.3 percent (15-of-45) from the field and a mere 14.3 percent (2-of-14) from beyond the arc. However, they saw success from the line, converting 76.2 percent (16-of-21) of their free throw attempts. The Friars shot just 30.4 percent (17-of-56) from the field, but held a slightly higher percentage from 3-point range at 35.7 percent (5-of-14). They also saw some success from the charity stripe, shooting 60.0 percent (12-of-20). Neither team had much help from the bench, as West Virginia only had four points and Providence only had two points from their subs. Junior Asya Bussie led the Mountaineers in scoring, ending the game just shy of a double-double with 14 points and eight rebounds. She also made five blocks against the Friars, bringing her to just seven blocks away from second all-time in blocks in West Virginia women’s basketball history. She was followed by Palmer and Caldwell, who each had 13 points against the Friars. Caldwell also ended the game just shy of a double-double, with nine rebounds in addition to her double figure scoring. Providence was led in scoring by Barnes, who scored 19 points against the Mountaineers. Cropper followed with 13 points and senior guard Lola Wells rounded out the top three scorers with 10 points. The Mountaineers return to action on Tuesday, Jan. 17 to face Marshall in the Chesapeake Energy Classic in Charleston, W. Va. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on WVPBS. |
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