Preseason WNIT Bracket I Live Stats I Live Video I Live Audio I Game Notes
RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University women's basketball team will open the season at nationally-ranked West Virginia in the first round of the Preseason WNIT on Saturday night in Morgantown at 7:00 p.m.
WVU enters the season ranked No. 17 in the country in both the AP and USA Today Sports Coaches preseason polls. The Mountaineers went 30-5 (16-2 Big 12) last year and captured a share of their first-ever Big 12 title.
West Virginia returns its leading scorer from last year in Bria Holmes (15.2 points-per-game). Holmes has been named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year and a preseason first team All-American by many publications.
EKU returns three starters from a team that went 17-13 last year and reached the semifinals of the OVC Tournament for the first time since 2005. The Colonels feature one senior and no freshmen. Juniors
Shelly Harper (10.4 points-per-game, 6.2 rebounds-per-game),
Miranda Maples (7.3 points-per-game, 5.9 rebounds-per-game) and
Jasmine Stafford (4.1 points-per-game, 4.6 rebounds-per-game) are Eastern's three returning starters.
The Colonels won both of their preseason exhibitions, defeating Pikeville, 75-59, last Wednesday before rolling past Kentucky Christian, 97-41, on Monday. Junior
Jasmine Henshaw paced EKU with a double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds) in the Pikeville win. Six Colonels scored in double figures in a balanced attack during the KCU win.
Win or lose on Saturday, EKU will play two more Preseason WNIT games next week. Details of those games will be determined following this weekend's action.
This is EKU's first appearance in the Preseason WNIT since 2001. The Colonels lost to Vanderbilt, 91-62 in the first round that year.
Eastern is 4-2 in season openers under seventh-year head coach Chrissy Roberts. The Colonels have faced Miami (Ohio) in their last two season openers and won both.
EKU leads the all-time series with West Virginia, 2-1. The Colonels fell to the Mountaineers, 60-40, in their last meeting in Morgantown on Dec. 8, 2009.
