Here at wvmountaineersports.com I have the privilege to type blogs in relation to the WVU basketball program in particular Huggstown. It is an honor to present my message to you the reader to describe the excellent happenings on the program. I want to devote this space today to the WVU women’s basketball team. They will play numero uno UConn Huskies tonight at the Gambel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn. That game is on West Virginia Public Television with the tipoff at 7:30 pm. This is the first time WVU and UConn will face each other as ranked teams.

Before I go further with this matchup let me take you back to 2001. The WVU women’s basketball program led by Alexis Basil had fallen on hard times. Suspensions, dissension, and awful team play were constant that very year. At the end of the season they lost to these UConn Huskies by a vicious score of 97-34. The year before that they lost with an even more sickening score of 100-28. They failed to reach the Big East Tournament as they finished the season 5-22. Afterwards, Basil was relieved of her duties and the women’s program was at a crossroads.

Enter Mike Carey. As soon as I heard him being introduced as the West Virginia women’s basketball coach I know good things were heading their way, not immediately but eventually. This coach led Salem International from a doormat program to a WVIAC powerhouse. The first couple of years the WVU women’s team, with Carey at helm, suffered some growing pains as they finished around the .500 mark. Led by Katie Bulger, Yolanda Paige, and Sherell Sowho they went to the NCAA Tournament in his 3rd season falling to Ohio State.

His 4th season is one of the most unforgettable seasons in WVU basketball history. The WVU men made it to the Elite Eight and the women did their thang too. They made it all the way to the NIT finals before falling to SW Missouri State. The first three rounds were at the Coliseum and I was there went they defeated Maine, St. John’s, and Wake Forest. In the semifinal round I had my ear on the radio when they beat Kentucky in a double-OT thriller. Sadly, I was bummed when they lost to SW Missouri State but I still applaud their run.

The next year was a disappointment by Carey’s standards. Severally affected by Meg Bulger’s knee injury they capped off the regular season losing 8 straight games. Then they made a glorious run to the Big East title with wins over Louisville, St. John’s, and the 6th ranked Rutgers Scarlet Knights. In the Big East Championship game vs UCONN they had to win this game or their season was over. They gave UCONN all they can handle before losing 50-44.

Last season, they made it to the NCAA Tournament this time and started off the first round with a win over Xavier. They had to beat 3rd seed LSU to reach the Sweet 16. They easily would have won the game and possibly reach the Final Four if it wasn’t for Yinka Sanni’s foul trouble against LSU. They had a 11-pt lead with 12 minutes remaining but LSU’s Sylvia Fowles brought them back from behind, while Sanni was on the bench, to win 49-43.

This season the WVU women’s team have been ranked all year long. This is a senior-laden team led by Sanni, Bulger, Chikhia Cole and sharp shooters LaQuita Owens and Sparkle Davis. They played the likes of Tennessee, Indiana, Oakland and are now facing the meat of the Big East schedule. The Big East has been tougher than in previous years as ALL teams have a winning record so far this year.

Now we go back full circle to the face-off tonight against UCONN. They have been ranked unanimously number 1 all season long. The experts have stated this is UConn’s strongest teams in years. This program, led by Geno Auriemma, have won 5 national championship and reached the Final Four eight times. They average 84 points a game with an average victory margin of a whopping 43 points. They are led by St. Albans native and South Charleston alum Renee Montgomery and freshman phenom Maya Moore who leads the team with 15.4 points and 6.4 rebounds.

For West Virginia to have any chance this must be a low-scoring contest so the steady play of junior PG Ashley Powell is very important. Also Sanni must defend well against Moore and Tina Charles. Bulger and Davis must also rain some 3’s as well to at least keep it close. An upset tonight would put the West Virginia women’s team in the same breath as UCONN, Rutgers, and even Notre Dame. They’ve beaten Rutgers and Notre Dame once before why not UCONN. This is their only regular season meeting with the Huskies. They are a staggering 1-18 all time vs UCONN with their only win way way back to 1982.

Good luck tonight ladies and GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Mountaineers!