College basketball

Tonight: USF women vs. West Virginia

By GREG AUMAN
Published February 25, 2006

WHEN/WHERE: 7; Sun Dome, Tampa.

TV/RADIO: Catch 47; 570- and 910-AM.

RECORDS: West Virginia 12-13, 4-10 Big East; USF 17-10, 7-7.

COACHES: West Virginia - Mike Carey (73-55, fifth season; 371-166, 18th season); USF - Jose Fernandez (76-94, sixth season).

NOTABLE: If the Bulls win their final two regular-season games and the first round of the Big East tournament, they should be in position for their first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. West Virginia needs a win to lock up a spot in the league tournament, sitting in 12th place and only a game ahead of three teams tied for 13th. The Mountaineers have been an up-and-down team, knocking off DePaul (RPI, 13) and beating Louisville (RPI, 35) by 26, yet losing four games to teams not in the RPI top 100, including 8-17 Providence. West Virginia's leading scorer, junior guard Meg Bulger, is out for the season with an ACL tear, and the Mountaineers have lost six straight without her. That leaves 6-foot-2 sophomore center Olayinka Sanni as the team's leading scorer at 13 points per game. The Bulls are led by junior Jessica Dickson, who is the nation's leading scorer at 22.3 points per game, but only by the tiniest of margins ahead of LSU's Seimone Augustus.

[Last modified February 25, 2006, 01:37:13]