Women's Basketball

UC Women Overcome Uninspired Play, Defeat Bluefield
January 15, 2006

Courtesy of the Charleston Sunday Gazette-Mail

The University of Charleston held host Bluefield State to 14 first-half points Saturday night but struggled to close out a 69-58 West Virginia Conference women’s victory.

Lisa Lee and Emily Jones each scored 12 points to lead the Golden Eagles (13-1, 5-0), who led 31-14 at the break.

UC, ranked No. 7 in Division II, shot well — 54 percent overall, 62 percent from 3-point range and 75 percent at the free-throw line — but was bogged down by 24 turnovers and uninspired play.

"They weren’t even pressing us,’’ said Golden Eagles coach Sherry Winn. "We dribbled the ball off our foot, we’d try to go behind the back and the ball went out of bounds, we’d get the ball on the block and it slips out of our hands. It was incredible.’’

Bluefield hit 56 percent of its shots to remain in the game.

"By all rights, Bluefield should have won the game, really,’’ Winn said.

"We’re just not playing on instinct, on second nature. They’re thinking too hard. I was pretty happy with our performance [in Thursday’s win at West Virginia State], then we turn around and do this. We can’t get to a medium and stay there. We’re either on a real high or the bottom of the valley.’’

Jennetta Smith provided a game-high 19 points for Bluefield (5-7, 1-4).