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WVU basketball: Women open Big 12 play with win

By Matthew Peaslee

aMORGANTOWN, WV - FEBRUARY 20: The West Virginia Mountaineers huddle before the game against the Texas Longhorns at the WVU Coliseum on February 20, 2017 in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
aMORGANTOWN, WV - FEBRUARY 20: The West Virginia Mountaineers huddle before the game against the Texas Longhorns at the WVU Coliseum on February 20, 2017 in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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The WVU basketball programs are without a doubt the best in the nation. Both the men and women are ranked in the top 10.

The women’s team was the first to enter Big 12 Conference play and defeated TCU, 87-82, on Thursday. With the victory, the Mountaineers are 13-0 on the season. The Horned Frogs were no slouch as that was just their third loss on the season.

Just like on the men’s side, the women have a tough road in the Big 12. It is probably the hardest conference in the country and no game will be easy for the women as they look to win another Big 12 Conference championship.

In the win, the WVU basketball team receiver an outstanding effort from Naomi Davenport, who scored a career-high 32 points. That is the highest point total of any WVU basketball player this season. Teana Muldrow, the team’s premier standout, added 20 points while Katrina Pardee had 17 and Chania Ray scored 11.

The Mountaineers are remaining on the road to take on Texas, the No. 8 team in the country. The Mountaineers will be tested and head coach Mike Carey says the team is suffering some setbacks due to injuries. It’s a winnable game for the WVU basketball team, but it won’t be easy. The game kicks off New Year’s Eve celebrations with a 4:30 p.m. tipoff.

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Now, the WVU women’s basketball team never gets the attention of casual Mountaineer fans. But what Carey has built in his time as head coach is phenomenal. Each year, the team is ranked in the top 25 and blazes through the regular season schedule. To count out the women’s team is a huge mistake.

The game against TCU shows that they are a resilient bunch because after surrendering 22 points to the Horned Frogs in the third quarter, the Mountaineers rallied for a 34-point effort in the fourth frame. That tenacity and will to win proves that the women fight for every opportunity they can get.

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It is bound to be a special season for both the men’s and women’s basketball programs at West Virginia. It would be a shame for even the most diehard WVU fan to miss what is going on.

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