University of Louisville
West Virginia
No. 14 Louisville Falls To West Virginia. 66-50
February 04, 2012 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 4, 2012
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - Asya Bussie scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead West Virginia to a 66-50 victory against No. 14 Louisville on Saturday.
Linda Stepney added 14 points, Christal Caldwell had 12 and Ayana Dunning 11 for West Virginia (17-6, 7-3 Big East).
Shoni Schimmel scored 16 points and Antonita Slaughter chipped in 14 off the bench for Louisville (17-6, 6-4).
The teams mostly traded baskets in the first half, with Asia Taylor's layup giving the Cardinals a one-point lead with 6:36 to go.
But on the Mountaineers' next possession, Stepney found a cutting Bussie, who completed the score despite being fouled. Bussie's three-point play with 6:13 remaining marked the start of a 17-2 run for West Virginia to close out the half.
Long 3-pointers within a minute of each other from Stepney and Taylor Palmer helped sustain a strong first-half push that propelled the Mountaineers to a 38-24 halftime lead.
West Virginia, which forced 13 first-half Cardinals turnovers, made 46.9 percent of its field goal attempts in the first half.
The Mountaineers didn't show any signs of slowing down in the second half, scoring the first seven points, including another long 3-pointer by Stepney.
Louisville finally cut the deficit to 12 late in the second half following a Taylor layup with 1:35 remaining, but by then it was too late.
The Mountaineers, who have won three consecutive games for the second time this season, will be tested in their next three Big East matchups - all against opponents ranked in the Top 25, including No. 2 Notre Dame, the only undefeated team left in the conference.
Louisville has dropped two straight, including an 86-61 thumping by DePaul on Tuesday. The Cardinals return home to face No. 3 Connecticut next Tuesday.
