HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Angel McCoughtry scored 24 points and No. 23 Louisville advanced to its first Big East tournament final by holding off No. 16 West Virginia 67-60 on Monday night,
The Cardinals (24-8), who moved back into the Top 25 Monday for the first time since the second week of the season, will play top-ranked Connecticut on Tuesday. The Huskies advanced earlier Monday with a 74-47 rout of Pittsburgh.
It was Louisville’s 10th win in its last 11 games, and followed Sunday’s 57-56 upset of No. 7 Rutgers.
Brandie Radde had 10 points for the Cardinals, who led by as many as 21 in the first half, and held off a late West Virginia charge.
LaQuita Owens had 23 for the Mountaineers (24-7), 15 in the second half, and Chakhia Cole added 15. Owens’ 3-pointer with 2:23 left cut the lead to 62-57, but McCoughtry hit a shot with 1:15 left that stretched it back to eight, and the Cardinals held on.
Louisville’s trapping press bothered the Mountaineers. It allowed the Cardinals to jump to a 10-3 lead, and forced West Virginia coach Mike Carey to use a timeout just three minutes into the game.
Radde hit consecutive 3-pointers out of the break, and it was 20-3 before Cole ended the Mountaineers’ drought with a driving layup.
The Mountaineers hit just three of their first 13 shots, including 1-of-6 from behind the arc.
West Virginia’s Olayinka Sanni picked up her second foul just nine minutes into the half, and with the Mountaineers’ center out of the lineup, Louisville went inside to Chauntise Wright, who had eight first-half points.
McCoughtry was fouled twice in the final minute of the half while attempting 3-pointers, and hit all six free throws to give the Cardinals a 41-21 advantage.
The Mountaineers had a 13-3 run after intermission, and cut the lead to 10 with just over 12 minutes left. It was eight when Sanni hit a layup with just under five minutes to go, and six when she hit another one with 3:26 left.
Sanni, who had 20 points in the Mountaineers’ second-round win over South Florida, had 12 in this one, all but two after intermission.
West Virginia, the No. 3 seed, had routed South Florida by 22 in Sunday’s quaterfinals. The Mountaineers were 12-3 in January and February, but had dropped two of their last three coming into the tournament, and had fallen two spots in this week’s Top 25 poll.
West Virginia came into the game 4-1 all-time against the Cardinals, but Louisville won last year’s meeting in Big East tournament 68-56.
Sports
Louisville upsets WVU women 67-60
- Sports
-
-
Woodrow holds off Huntington
It took Woodrow Wilson’s boys basketball team nearly three quarters to figure out that the backside lob was open in Huntington High’s zone.
-
MSU hosts Rio Grande
For the first time since 1995, Mountain State stands a little past the half-way point at the season with five losses.
-
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - WVU to join Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference Board of Directors have voted unanimously to accept West Virginia University as a full conference member effective July 1, 2012. The Mountaineers will begin competing in the Big 12 beginning with the 2012-13 athletic season.
-
Friday update: Big East notified WVU leaving for Big 12
The Big East says it has been notified that West Virginia is leaving the conference and joining the Big 12.
-
Cardinals force Game 7 in World Series
After one of the greatest games in baseball history, a 10-9, 11-inning victory over Texas in Game 6 in which the Cardinals were twice within one strike of elimination.
-
Schiano sings WVU’s praises
It hasn’t been the year that Rutgers coach Greg Schiano envisioned.
Not close. -
BNI will usher in mat season
This time around, the Beckley Newspapers Invitational will have a decidedly more local flavor.
-
Huggs likes looks of young Noreen
Perhaps it was the season. Whatever it was, West Virginia coach Bob Huggins went straight to the pie.
Well, the figurative pie.
Huggins had just watched his team beat Virginia Military Institute 82-66 in front of 12,367 fans at the Charleston Civic Center Saturday. -
Oak Hill places 3 on AA
Whether it was opposing defenses or illness, nothing stopped Charleston Catholic’s Tom Trupo for long.
-
Spartans open with victory
Turnovers produce points and the Greenbrier East girls basketball team collected plenty of each en route to an 81-43 season-opening victory against Bluefield on Tuesday night.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Woodrow holds off Huntington







