Providence College Athletics
Providence College
West Virginia
Women's Basketball Defeated By West Virginia, 79-74
2/17/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 17, 2001
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Providence College women's basketball team was defeated by West Virginia, 79-74, on Saturday afternoon in BIG EAST Conference women's college basketball.
The Friars fell to 9-14 overall and 3-10 in the conference while the Mountaineers improved their record to 5-19 overall and 3-10 in the BIG EAST as well, creating a logjam of teams fighting for the final two playoff spots in the BIG EAST Tournament. For the first time in conference history, two schools from the 14-team league will not make the conference's post-season tournament. Along with PC and WVU, Boston College and Pittsburgh entered this weekend with three league wins and St. John's has two victories.
The Friars led by as many as 12 points in the first half and they did so on freshman Kristin Quinn's (Sewell, N.J.) fast-break layup with 8:57 to play. West Virginia closed the half on a 20-10 run over the final 8:57 in the half to trail PC, 37-34, at the halftime break.
Providence scored the first seven points in the second half, with four coming from freshman Jenese Wilcox (Port Chester, N.Y.), to lead, 44-33, with 18:39 to play. With 10:37 to play, the Mountaineers had cut the lead to just three points at, 65-62, and they challenged the Friars the rest of the way.
After the two teams traded baskets for five minutes, Providence held a five-point lead, 71-66, on another fast-break layup by Quinn with 4:56 to play. West Virginia's Alia Clark hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to two points and after a PC turnover, Brandi Batch scored on a layup, tying the contest at 71-71 with 3:22 remaining. Zsophia Horvath scored on a layup off another PC turnover to give WVU a two-point lead, but Providence's senior Jen Gombotz (Southington, Conn.) hit two free throws to tie the game with 2:01 left. After a West Virginia turnover and foul send Gombotz back to the foul line, she hit one of two, giving the Friars the 74-73 lead.
West Virginia's Batch scored on another layup with :58 left to play, giving the Mountaineers a 75-77 lead and, when PC turned the ball over Katie Bulger drilled an open jumper for the three point lead.
The Friars had a final chance to tie the game when junior Chrissy Vozab's (Amenia, N.Y.) deep three-point attempt from top of the circle missed. West Virginia added two free throws for the final, 79-74, victory.
Bulger led all scorers with 21 points and she led four Mountaineer players in double digit scoring figures.
The Friars were led by Wilcox's 16 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Vozab added 13 points in the defeat while Quinn and senior Monika Roberts (Pittsburg, Calif.), each had 12 points, and Gombotz scored 11.
Providence returns to action on Wednesday, February 21st when they travel to Virginia Tech University to face the Hokies.
