WACO, TX – Foul trouble and a 30-point showing from Baylor’s Brittney Griner ended the West Virginia women’s basketball team’s journey in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas, Tuesday.
In the first half, West Virginia held Griner to 10 points after sending her to the bench with her second foul with nine minutes to go in the half. Taking advantage of the 6-foot-8 center’s absence, the Mountaineers hit stride with a 9-5 run, while a jumper from Asya Bussie put the score at 43-32 going into halftime.
Two quick fouls on Bussie in the first two minutes of the second half once again hampered the Mountaineers (24-10) and allowed the Bears (33-2) to stretch a 56-40 lead. However, at the 13:13 mark in the second half, senior Vanessa House hit a three to spark an 8-0 run to bring the WVU to within seven, 51-58, the closest it would come for the remainder of the game.
Senior Liz Repella posted her second-straight 20 point performance, with a season-high 29 points. She was 4-for-5 from beyond the arc and pulled down four rebounds. Behind Repella, senior Vanessa House came off the bench to offer up a season-high 14 points and Bussie added in nine points before fouls sent her to the bench at the 7:11 mark for the remainder of the game.
Ayana Dunning led WVU in rebounding with six boards and also chipped in seven points. The Mountaineers were out-rebounded, 38-27, with Baylor’s Destiny Williams leading all players with nine rebounds.
The Mountaineers shot 41.7 percent from the field (25-60), while the Bears shot 51 percent (25-49). Baylor earned 28 points off free throws as they were given 35 attempts, shooting 80 percent. Griner made up 12-of-15 from the line. The Mountaineers had only 17 opportunities at the charity stripe, converting 64.7 percent (11-of-17).
The loss concludes the 2010-11 season for the Mountaineers.
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