Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
West Virginia
Women's Basketball Falls to No. 13 WVU, 74-42
1/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 20, 2010
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The Marshall University women's basketball team fell to No. 13 West Virginia, 74-42, in the Chesapeake Energy Capital Classic at the Charleston Civic Center on Wednesday evening.
The Thundering Herd (11-7) received 13 points and nine rebounds from Veronica Ruiz, who earned Capital Classic MVP honors, but it wasn't enough as WVU (18-1) won its 16th-straight game.
Raechele Gray tied a career-high with all 11 points in the second half, including a trio of 3-pointers and Chantelle Handy and Alaya Mitchell each chipped in six points apiece.
The Herd scored the first two points of the game on a pair of free throws by Ruiz; unfortunately, it was the only time MU would hold an advantage during the contest.
Ruiz, who scored the first six points for the Herd, hit a baseline jumper to cut the deficit to 10-6 with 14:36 remaining. MU would be held scoreless over the next six minutes, while the Mountaineers went on 11-0 run to own a 21-6 lead midway through the first stanza.
Handy and Kendra King each sank a basket to get the Herd within 11 points (21-10) at the 7:10 mark in the first half. WVU answered right back with an 11-4 rally over the final 5:52, including back-to-back 3-pointers, to take a 32-14 lead into the locker room.
WVU came out firing in the second half, as Liz Repella scored the first six points to help knock off the Herd for the fifth-straight time.
Gray connected for three-straight shots from behind the arc to highlight the second half for the Herd.
The Mountaineers recorded four players in double figures, led by a 16-point effort from Vanessa House off the bench.
The Herd returns to Conference USA action with a trip to Oklahoma to play the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 6 p.m.
