West Virginia-New Mexico Preview

3/22/2008 9:11 AM

By MIKE VOTTA
STATS Senior Writer

West Virginia stumbled a bit at the end of the season, but the Mountaineers don't think their struggles will follow them into the NCAA tournament.

The fifth-seeded Mountaineers kick off their fifth trip to the NCAA tournament on Saturday when they face 12th-seeded New Mexico in the first round of the Spokane Regional in Albuquerque.

West Virginia (24-7) went 12-4 in the Big East, finishing third behind top-ranked Connecticut and No. 7 Rutgers. The Mountaineers reached the semifinals of the conference tournament before falling 67-60 to Louisville.

However, West Virginia went 3-3 in its final six games before the tournament, losing at home against DePaul and at Pittsburgh and Syracuse. Before those defeats, the Mountaineers' only losses had come against Tennessee and UConn - who were both ranked No. 1 when they faced West Virginia - and Indiana.

But despite its late-season slump, West Virginia is making consecutive NCAA tournament appearances for the first time in school history.

"I know that we are going to bounce back," said Chakhia Cole, who had 15 points against the Cardinals. "I know that we have a lot of heart and that defines our team. You saw that in the second half, so I'm not worried about it."

West Virginia fell behind Louisville 20-3, making it difficult to climb back into the game. LaQuita Owens added 23 points, including 15 in the second half, and Olayinka Sanni, who leads the team with 16.5 points per game, had 12.

The Mountaineers, who average 70.3 points, shot just 37.5 percent and have managed only 58.3 points per game over their last three.

In order to avoid another upset, West Virginia will have to beat New Mexico on its home floor. The Lobos (20-12) were 12-6 on their own court this season, but won four of their last five at home.

"We try not to worry about playing on their home floor and things like that," senior forward Meg Bulger told the Mountaineers' official team Web site. "In women's basketball, you've got to do things like that to get the fans out, and I wish we could have stayed closer to home, but we're going to go out there with the mentality that it's their home court and that we're going to have to go out there and play harder."

New Mexico is making its seventh straight NCAA appearance and eighth overall. The Lobos earned this season's bid with Saturday's 62-59 victory over San Diego State, winning their fifth Mountain West Conference title in six seasons.

Brandi Kimble had 22 points and Dionne Marsh, New Mexico's all-time leading scorer who leads the team with 15.8 points per game, chipped in 21. Including their three victories in the conference tournament, the Lobos have won six straight.

"For them to come back at this point in the year and play so well and play so confidently, that's a tribute to the effort they gave in practice and the determination they had when they came to this tournament to be successful," coach Don Flanagan said.

West Virginia beat New Mexico 71-56 at home on Jan. 9, 1982 in the only previous meeting between the teams.