MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Bria Holmes scored a game-high 23 points and the No. 17 West Virginia women’s basketball team buried Eastern Kentucky 67-42 on Saturday night in the opening round of the Preseason WNIT.
Linda Stepney scored 13 points and Averee Fields added 12 on combined 10-of-14 shooting, while Crystal Leary grabbed 11 rebounds and swatted away a career-high four blocks. Redshirt freshman Teana Muldrow finished with eight points and five rebounds.
The Colonels (0-1) never got closer than 11 in the second half.
The Mountaineers will face former Big East foe Seton Hall in the second round on Monday, Nov. 17 at the WVU Coliseum. The Pirates (1-0) knocked off Rider 86-64.
EKU’s Michaela Hunter, Mariah Massengill and Shameekia Murray each had eight points for the Colonels.
The Mountaineers made 24-of-56 from the field for 42.9 percent, holding EKU to 27.5 percent. WVU held a slight rebounding edge 44-38.