Lady Pirates Basketball Set To Open Season At West Virginia
November 21, 2003 | Women's Basketball
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- The East Carolina women's basketball team will open the 2003-04 season on the road in Morgantown, West Virginia as they prepare to play West Virginia Sunday, Nov. 23, with a 2 p.m. tip off.
The Lady Pirates finished the 2002-03 season with a 12-16 overall mark under first-year head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener. ECU concluded its brief exhibition season going 0-1 falling to the Basketball Travelers (WBC Ilirija) 68-66. The Lady Pirates had three players score in double figures, senior center Courtney Willis with 15, and junior guards Jennifer Jackson scored 15 while Viola Cooper collected 12.
"I think that we responded well after our exhibition game," said ECU head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener. "We've had a couple of real good weeks of practice. The intensity has gone up and the defense has definitely improved. I'm looking forward to using these first several games to figure out player rotation and to see what our players will do in real game situations. I am curious to see how the newcomers respond and the even how the veterans respond to the challenge that we have this weekend."
West Virginia posted a 15-13 record last season finishing in a tie for 11th in the Big East. The Mountaineers return four starters from last years team led by senior guard Kate Bulger, who averaged 15.8 ppg and 4.0 rpg. In West Virginia's lone exhibition game, the Mountaineers fell to the Turkish National Team 70-66. Kate Bulger led all WVU players with 11 points, while Michelle Carter, Sherell Sowho and Yolanda Paige each scored 10 points.
"I'm really excited to start playing this weekend," said Baldwin-Tener. "It will be a huge challenge for us to go to West Virginia and play a very good team that has a lot of their starters back and had a great signing class. I think it will be a challenge for our team early in the season to play on the road against such a tough opponent. Their defensive intensity will be a good test for us to see where we are in the scheme of things. They have a great shooter in Kate Bulger who lead the Big East in three-point percentage last year."
The Lady Pirates will be back in action on Wednesday, Nov. 26 in the home opener against instate rival N.C. A&T at 7 p.m.
