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Bulger scores 26 as Mountaineers add to Panthers' frustration

Sunday, January 20, 2002

By Paul Zeise, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. -- West Virginia might be almost heaven, but the West Virginia University Coliseum has been more like a living hell for the Pitt women's' basketball team.

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Yesterday, the Panthers visited the Coliseum for the 10th time since 1981 and, like the nine previous trips, came away disappointed.

The Mountaineers, behind the three-point shooting of Oakland Catholic graduate Kate Bulger, built an early lead and cruised to a 80-63 win against the Panthers. It was the seventh consecutive home win for the Mountaineers, who have yet to lose a home game this season, and the team's 10th consecutive home win against the Panthers.

"It is frustrating for us to lose this one because it was an important game for us," said Pitt Coach Traci Waites. "We've been struggling lately and we just need to get a win. Today, not a lot of things went well for us."

West Virginia (10-6, 3-3 in the Big East) already has doubled its win total from a year ago and moved into a sixth place tie with Miami. Pitt (6-11, 1-5) inched closer to the bottom of the conference and is in danger of missing the Big East Tournament.

Bulger, who hit six 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 26 points, hit three of her first four shots and scored the Mountaineers' first 11 points. Pitt's Laine Selwyn and Haley Harguth helped the Panthers keep pace, and they trailed 11-9 at the 14-minute mark of the first half.

But West Virginia's inside game, featuring 6-foot-3 senior Brandi Batch, took control, and the Mountaineers made a 16-4 run over the next seven minutes. East Allegheny graduate Brooke Stewart hit a couple of outside shots to keep Pitt within striking distance, but the Panthers had no answer for Batch and Bulger. The Mountaineers closed the half with an 11-5 run to grab a 41-26 lead.

The Panthers' problems on defense began with the absence of 6-foot-2 junior Mandy Wittenmyer, who is out for the next few weeks with an ankle sprain. Wittenmyer is the Panthers' only true post player, and, without her, they were forced to use a zone.

That opened the shooting lane for Bulger, but when the Panthers tried to counter with a man-to-man, Batch, a 6-3 forward, took charge and finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Panthers also had trouble containing West Virginia point guard Yolanda Paige, who finished with 14 points and a Coliseum-record 13 assists.

"Our defense was poor today," Waites said. "That really is disappointing as well. But not having Mandy makes a huge difference because it makes us very small. And, when the other team is hitting shots like that, we can't play an effective zone. It caused us problems all day."

Said Bulger: "When we shoot the way we did today we are very hard to beat because we have a good inside game as well. I was surprised they played us in a zone but happy since I'm a shooter."

The Mountaineers wer 10 of 20 from 3-point range.

Stewart, who finished with a team-high 20 points, led the Panthers on their only serious run to begin the second half. The 10-2 spurt in the first four minutes of the half closed the gap to 43-36, but Bulger hit a 3-pointer, and the Panthers never got closer than nine points.