Published: March 25, 2008 12:03 am      

WVU falls to Vanderbilt

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — When the legs grew heavy in the second half, Christina Wirth and her Vanderbilt teammates still looked fresh.

Wirth scored 21 points and reserve Jessica Mooney added 11 to help Vanderbilt beat West Virginia 64-46 on Monday night in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

The fourth-seeded Commodores (25-8) advanced to the regional semifinals in Spokane, Wash., where they’ll meet the winner of Tuesday’s game between Nebraska and Maryland.

Olayinka Sanni led fifth-seeded West Virginia (25-8) with 14 points while Meg Bulger scored 13 and LaQuita Owens had 10.

Vanderbilt has won 11 of its last 12 games, and this time the Commodores got a big lift from their bench. Mooney, one of six sophomores on the roster, led the way as Vandy outscored West Virginia’s reserves 20-2.

The Commodores recovered from a sloppy first half, where they committed 15 turnovers. But two big runs midway through the second half put Vanderbilt back in the regional semifinals for the first time since 2005.

West Virginia led 35-33 after Sanni got free for a layup but Vanderbilt’s Jennifer Risper drove for two baskets in an 8-0 burst. The Commodores led 41-35, forcing Mountaineers coach Mike Carey to call timeout at the 13-minute mark.

Owens came out of that break by hitting a 3-pointer, trimming the margin to 41-38, but Mooney scored twice off turnovers and Wirth made a long 3-pointer as Vandy used a 10-2 run to pull away.

The Mountaineers simply ran out of gas two nights after a stirring 61-60 win over New Mexico. On one possession near the 5-minute mark, they took six shots but couldn’t find the basket.

The Commodores, on the other hand, looked fresher in Albuquerque’s mile-high air because coach Melanie Balcomb was able to rest her starters during a lopsided opening-round win over Montana.

In fact, Wirth broke into a big smile after making a 3-pointer, her fourth of the game, to push Vanderbilt’s lead to 62-45 with 1:58 remaining. Moments later, Sherwood added a flip in the lane, and it was party time back in Music City.

The Commodores, in the NCAA tournament for the ninth straight year, committed seven turnovers in the second half, though two came in the closing minute.

The Mountaineers led 29-27 at the break despite Vanderbilt’s 21-8 rebounding edge. But it was just a matter of time before the Commodores got going.