Mountaineer Illustrated - WBB1

2011-12 Mountaineer Illustrated

2011-12 Mountaineer Schedule Day

Date

Opponent

Location

Time

Wed.

Nov. 2

Wheeling Jesuit (Exh.)

Morgantown

W, 100-23

Friday

Nov. 11

Youngstown State

Morgantown

6:30 p.m.

Friday

Nov. 18

St. Bonaventure

Morgantown

7 p.m.

Sunday

Nov. 20

North Carolina Central

Morgantown

2 p.m.

Friday

Nov. 25

vs. UCLA^

Northridge, Calif.

8 p.m.

Saturday

Nov. 26

vs. Cal State Northridge/ Northridge, Calif.

8/10:30 p.m.

Colgate^

Wed.

La Salle

Morgantown

7 p.m.

Saturday Dec. 3

Boston

Morgantown

4 p.m.

Wed.

Dec. 7

at Syracuse

Syracuse, N.Y.

7 p.m.

Saturday

Dec. 10

North Florida

Morgantown

Saturday

Dec. 17

at Duquesne

Pittsburgh, Pa.

2 p.m.

Tuesday

Dec. 20

Mount St. Mary’s

Morgantown

7 p.m.

Wed.

Dec. 28

Bucknell

Morgantown

Noon

Saturday

Dec. 31

Elon

Morgantown

2 p.m.

Wed.

Jan. 4

at Connecticut

Storrs, Conn.

7 p.m.

Saturday

Jan. 7

Villanova

Morgantown

7 p.m.

Tuesday

Jan. 10

Seton Hall

Morgantown

7 p.m.

Saturday

Jan. 14

at Providence

Providence, R.I.

2 p.m.

Tuesday

Jan. 17

Marshall +

Charleston

7 p.m.

Saturday

Jan. 21

at Pitt

Pittsburgh, Pa.

2 p.m.

Tuesday

Jan. 24

Georgetown

Morgantown

7 p.m.

Saturday

Jan. 28

Marquette

Morgantown

7 p.m.

Wed.

Feb. 1

at USF

Tampa, Fla.

7 p.m.

Saturday Feb. 4

Louisville

Morgantown

Sunday

Feb. 12

at Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Ind.

Wed.

Feb. 15

Rutgers

Morgantown

7 p.m.

Saturday

Feb. 18

DePaul

Morgantown

4 p.m.

Tuesday

Feb. 21

at St. John’s

Queens, N.Y.

7 p.m.

Saturday

Feb. 25

at Cincinnati

Cincinnati, Ohio

2 p.m.

Monday

Feb. 27

Pitt

Morgantown

7 p.m.

Fri.-Tues.

March 2-6 BIG EAST Championship Hartford, Conn.

Nov. 30

^ Woodland Hills Holiday Inn Thanksgiving Basketball Classic + Chesapeake Energy Capital Classic All dates and times are subject to change All times are Eastern

West Virginia Women’s Basketball

Noon

4 p.m.

3:30 p.m.

TBD

West Virginia Mountaineers

Christal Caldwell

Taylor Palmer

Akilah Bethel

Brooke Hampton

Averee Fields

Jess Harlee

Asya Bussie

Linda Stepney

Crystal Leary

Ayana Dunning

Natalie Burton

Mike Carey

George Porcha

Lester Rowe

M.L. Willis

No. Name Class Pos. Ht. Hometown/Last School 1 Christal Caldwell r-So. G 5-9 Charlotte, N.C./Florida 2 Taylor Palmer So. G 5-9 Mount Vernon, N.Y./Mt. Vernon 3 Akilah Bethel Fr. G 6-0 Baltimore, Md./Academy of Holy Cross 4 Brooke Hampton So. G 5-9 Colts Neck, N.J./Colts Neck 5 Averee Fields Fr. F 6-0 Murray, Ky./Calloway County 14 Jessica Harlee So. F 6-1 Bel Air, Md./Fallston 20 Asya Bussie Jr. C 6-4 Randallstown, Md./Seton Keough 22 Linda Stepney Fr. G 5-7 Norfolk, Va./Lake Taylor 32 Crystal Leary Fr. F 6-2 Norfolk, Va./Lake Taylor 33 Ayana Dunning r-Jr. C 6-3 Columbus, Ohio/LSU 35 Natalie Burton Sr. C 6-5 Perth, Australia/Carine Senior Head Coach: Mike Carey (Salem, ’80) – 11th season Associate Head Coach: George Porcha (New Haven, ’95) – 4th season Assistant Coach: Lester Rowe (West Virginia, ’85)—1st season Assistant Coach: M.L. Willis (Iowa, ’98) – 3rd season Graduate Assistant: Erin Brady Director of Basketball Operations: Toni Kay Oliverio Video Coordinator: Pat Biondo Assistant Athletic Trainer: Allison Hetrick

2011-12 Mountaineer Illustrated

UP CLOSE WITH...

AVEREE FIELDS F / 6-0 / Fr. / Murray, Ky. Birthday: April 17, 1993

Favorite Meal: Ham, Macaroni & Cheese and rolls

What’s on TV: Grey’s Anatomy What’s in my iPod: Drake Favorite Movies: Disney movies, The Proposal

Would love to trade places for a day with…Tyra Banks Dream Date: Shemar Moore Dream Car: Hybrid

Bookmarks: Facebook, Twitter Pre-Game Rituals: Put on my ankle brace and shoe on my right leg then my left Best On-Court Moment: Hitting a three in the state tournament Favorite Sports Team: WVU Dream Vacation Spot: Bahamas Favorite Physical Attribute About Myself: Smile Values I admire in Others: Honesty My Bucket List: Having a motorcycle; skydiving I chose WVU because…of the basketball program.

Motto: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. - Philippians 4:13

West Virginia Women’s Basketball

Youngstown State School Information Location: Youngstown, Ohio Enrollment: 15,194 Conference: Horizon League Nickname: Penguins Brandi Brown

Bob Boldon

Team Information Head Coach: Bob Boldon (Walsh, ’97) Career Record: 66-56, fifth season At School: 6-24, second season Starters Returning/Lost: 4/1 2010-11 Record: 6-24, 4-14 Horizon League (10th)

Series Information Today is the 17th meeting Series vs. WVU: Tied 8-8 Last Meeting: 1998; YSU defeated WVU, 96-86 at YSU

No. 4

Name Kelsea Fickiesen

Class Fr.

5 13 15 20 21 22 23 24 32 34 42

Kenya Middlebrooks Sr. Macey Nortey Sr. Heidi Schlegel r-Fr. Devan Matkin Jr. Liz Hornberger So. Ashley Lawson Fr. Melissa Thompson So. Monica Touvelle So. Tieara Jones Sr. Tanija Beasley Jr. Brandi Brown Jr.

Pos. G

Ht. 5-7

Hometown/Last School St. Marys, W.Va./St. Marys

G G F G G G G G G F F

5-7 Toledo, Ohio/Waite 5-3 Los Angeles, Calif./Millikan 6-0 Wapakoneta, Ohio/Wapakoneta 5-10 Twin Falls, Idaho/Tallahassee CC 5-7 Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg 5-9 Wash. Court House, Ohio/Miami Trace 5-8 Solon, Ohio/Solon 5-8 Boardman, Ohio/Boardman 6-0 Youngstown, Ohio/Foothill College 5-10 Columbus, Ohio/NW Florida St. 5-11 Pomona, Calif./Claremont

Head Coach: Bob Boldon Assistant Coach: Tavares Jackson Assistant Coach: Jen Theissen Assistant Coach: Kate Schrader Director of Basketball Operations: John Cullen Manager: Amy Dolsak

2011-12 Mountaineer Illustrated

UP CLOSE WITH...

JESS HARLEE F / 6-1 / So. / Bel Air, Md. Birthday: May 4, 1992

Superstitions: Always have my hair straightened for games

What’s on TV: True Blood, Grey’s Anatomy Favorite Meal: Chicken Fajitas What’s in my iPod: Taylor Swift, The Script Dream Car: Ferrari Favorite Movies: Inception, 13 Going on 30

Best On-Court Moment: Hitting a three in the Pitt Pink game last year

Bookmarks: Facebook Favorite Athlete to Watch in Another Sport: Tom Brady Favorite Sports Team: Ravens Dream Vacation Spot: Anywhere tropical Favorite Physical Attribute About Myself: My arms Values I admire in Others: Honesty My Bucket List: Go to Australia; skydiving I chose WVU because…I really liked the school atmosphere and basketball team.

Motto: It is what it is.

West Virginia Women’s Basketball

St. Bonaventure School Information Location: Bonaventure, N.Y. Enrollment: 2,000 Conference: Atlantic 10 Nickname: Bonnies Jessica Jenkins

Jim Crowley

Team Information Head Coach: Jim Crowley (Keuka, ’93) Career Record: 193-211, 16th season At School: 154-174, 12th season Starters Returning/Lost: 5/0 2010-11 Record: 21-12, 9-5 Atlantic 10 (T-5th) Series Information Today is the 22nd meeting Series vs. WVU: WVU leads 17-4 Last Meeting: 2011; WVU defeated SBU, 62-53 at SBU

No. 1 3 4 12 13 14 23 24 25 30 44

Name Tatiana Wilson Alaina Walker Doris Ortega Ashley Zahn Jordan McGee Jessica Jenkins

Megan Van Tatenhove Chelsea Bowker Armelia Horton

CeCe Dixon Jennie Ashton

Class Fr. Jr. So. So. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. So. Sr.

Pos. G G F G G G F F G G F

Ht. Hometown/Last School 5-7 Queens, N.Y./South Shore 5-9 Pomona, N.Y./Albertus Magnus 5-10 Harlem, N.Y./Murry Bergtraum 5-10 Canadaigua, N.Y./Canadaigua Academy 5-10 Albuquerque, N.M./Eldorado 5-8 Marion, Ohio/Marion Harding 6-1 Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Oostburg 5-11 Salem, Ohio/Crestview 5-10 Harlem, N.Y./Murry Bergtraum 5-7 Queens, N.Y./Murry Bergtraum 6-2 Austin, Texas/McCallum

Head Coach: Jim Crowley Assistant Coach: Priscilla Edwards Assistant Coach: Kate Achter Assistant Coach: Ryan Gensler Director of Basketball Operations: Tiara Johnson

2011-12 Mountaineer Illustrated

A Bond Before WVU A

nyone who has ever played a sport knows the importance of developing a strong chemistry can directly correlate to the success of the team. This chemistry is obviously something that is developed within each team and many athletes are able to work with what is developed until it comes time to further his or her athletic career at another level and a new chemistry has to be developed and quickly. But what happens when you are lucky enough to have the one player you developed a strong bond with your whole life next to you when you go away to college?

This is the case with freshmen basketball players Linda Stepney and Crystal Leary of Norfolk, Va.

Stepney, a 5-foot-7 guard, and Leary,

a 6-foot-2 forward, have been playing together for eight years now, making the 2011-12 basketball season with West Virginia University not only their first collegiate year, but ninth year of being teammates.

“When we were 11 years old, our

AAU basketball teams came together and that’s how we met,” Stepney says, recollecting of her first encounter with Leary. “I had known who Crystal was before that but never got to play with her.”

From that point on, the two had

developed a strong bond on the court that would later lead to overall successful careers for both players.

“We started to form a chemistry right

away,” Stepney says. “I started to know where Crystal would be on the court, and she knew where I was.”

The chemistry the duo created al-

lowed not only individual success as Leary reached a No. 56 ranking by Blue Star Report and a No. 68 ranking by ESPN HoopGurlz and Leary ranked in the top100 as she was No. 77 by Blue Star Report, but also aided in the success of their team.

Throughout their careers at Lake Tay-

lor High, both Stepney and Leary broke the 1,000-point milestone, received alldistrict, all-tidewater and all-state honors, were McDonald’s all-American nominees and guided the Titans to the 2010 state championship title as the top-two leading scorers for the team.

Even more impressive, Lake Taylor finished 30-1 in 2010 and was ranked No. 1 in the state by South Hampton Roads and the Associated Press AAA polls and

West Virginia Women’s Basketball

earned a No. 22 national ranking, winning seven games by more than 50 points.

According to both Stepney and

Leary, that 2010 championship title was their biggest accomplishment as a duo up until this point in their careers.

“Winning a state championship is

something both Linda and I worked hard for and were able to go after, coming out successful,” Leary says.

In addition to Lake Taylor, the pair also saw extra playing time and competition on Boo Williams’ AAU Elite team. However, both Leary and Stepney agree their success on the court was in part due to the bond they had created off the court in the friendship they share.

“Since the time we started playing

basketball, Linda and I would always sleep over at one another’s houses and go to games and practices together,” Leary says. “We became really good friends--like sisters.”

“We have a really goofy type of rela-

tionship,” Stepney adds. “We’re like kids and only we understand one another. It’s a great friendship.”

After developing this family-like

bond, Stepney and Leary knew a familylike atmosphere was important to each of them when choosing where to take their basketball careers and the Mountaineer family was the right choice for the pair.

“We both knew we wanted to play

basketball together after high school,” Leary says. “When I found out West Virginia was looking at both of us, I told Linda we had to come here and check it out.”

Sure enough, after a visit with coach

it would be along country roads. Although the environment is new and it will take time to adapt, Stepney and Leary still find their goals to be similar.

“Ultimately we definitely want to

bring home a national championship to Morgantown,” Leary says. “We’ve done it before and we’ve already set our goals to win a huge championship again.”

Mike Carey, Stepney and Leary found themselves continuing down this path of

By Gina Sporio

friendship and competition, only this time

Sports Communications Student Assistant

2011-12 Mountaineer Illustrated

UP CLOSE WITH...

CHRISTAL CALDWELL G / 5-9 / So. / Charlotte, N.C. Birthday: Nov. 1, 1990

Bookmarks: Twitter

What’s on TV: La La’s Full Court Life,

Superstitions: Same socks and chewing

Basketball Wives

gum

What’s in my iPod: A little bit of everything

Favorite Meal: Anything my mom cooks

Favorite Movies: Sister Act II

Dream Car: Black on Black Range Rover Favorite Sports Team: Dallas Mavs, Celtics Dream Vacation Spot: Jamaica Favorite Physical Attribute About Myself: My smile Values I admire in Others: Personality I chose WVU because…I felt it was where I needed to be.

Motto: You can’t miss what you never had.

West Virginia Women’s Basketball

North Carolina Central School Information Location: Durham, N.C. Enrollment: 8,614 Conference: Independent Nickname: Eagles Blaire Houston

Joli D. Robinson

Team Information Head Coach: Joli. D. Robinson (Winston-Salem State, ’77) Career Record: 214-215, 15th season At School: 214-215, 15th season Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2 2010-11 Record: 5-25 Series Information Today is the 3rd meeting Series vs. WVU: WVU leads 2-0 Last Meeting: 2011; WVU defeated NCCU, 71-39 at NCCU

No. 1

Name Eyandra Molina

Class Jr.

Pos. G

Ht. 5-8

Hometown/Last School Bronx, N.Y./Borough of Manhattan

3 4 10 13 20 21 23 24 32 35 40 52

Montreshia Perry Alesha Jenkins Blaire Houston Tenika Neely Jasmine Alston Sierra Solomon Kabrina Truesdale Chasidy Williams Tarlesha Boles Tiffany Gary J’Mia Pollock Lakisha Evans

Fr. So. Sr. So. r-Jr. So. Fr. r-Jr. Fr. So. Jr. r-So.

G F G G G F G G F F F F

5-9 Colerain, N.C./Bertie 6-0 Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Coconut Creek 5-5 Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield 5-6 Charlotte, N.C./Fayetteville Christian 5-10 Greensboro, N.C./Grimsley 5-10 Raleigh, N.C./ Broughton 5-5 Wilmington, N.C./Laney 6-0 Fayetteville, N.C./Trinity Christian 6-0 Duluth, Ga./Duluth H.S. 6-1 Delray Beach, Fla./Atlantic Community 6-2 Winston-Salem, N.C./Parkland 6-1 Chapel Hill, N.C./East Chapel Hill

Head Coach: Joli D. Robinson Associate Head Coach: Antonio O. Davis Assistant Coach: Leah Frierson Assistant Coach: Janet N. Robinson

2011-12 Mountaineer Illustrated

West Virginia Women’s Basketball