Sitting courtside in the XL Center for the Big East Conference Championship game between N0. 9 West Virginia and No. 1 Connecticut.

GAMES NOTES:

• WVU is in its second Big East Championship game. In 2006, the Mountaineers lost to Connecticut 50-44.
• WVU is looking for its first win against a No.1-ranked team (0-13)
• WVU is 10-10 all-time in the XL Center (0-5 against UConn)

6:43 PM - The XL Center is starting to fill up as game time nears.

6:11 PM – Both teams on the court; Connecticut point guard Caroline Doty in uniform after a suspected concussion in yesterday’s game

5:38 PM – Vanessa House, Liz Repella, Natalie Burton, and Madina Ali all out shooting around.

Hello from the XL Center for our live blog of tonight’s semi-final matchup between the West Virginia women’s basketball team and the Rutgers women’s basketball team

Here’s a few quick notes

• Rutgers advanced to the semi-finals with a 2nd round victory over Cincinnati followed by a double overtime victory over Georgetown
• WVU punched their ticket to the semi-finals with a win over DePaul
• This is the third matchup between the Mountaineers and the Scarlet Knights in the Big East Tournament (The series is tied 1-1)
• With a win in tonight’s contest, WVU will advance to their third Big East Championship game in program history

Tip-off is tentatively set for 8 p.m. but will most likely be pushed back due to the Connecticut/Notre Dame game.

First Half

15:51 Remaining – Rutgers has taken an early 6-4 lead in the contest.  WVU head coach Mike Carey has shown some early displeasure with his defense as they have allowed some early pentration. Asya Bussie has also picked up two blocks in the game already.

10:54 Remaining – WVU has used a 9-0 run to take a 15-8 advantage just over halfway through the first half.  Sarah Miles and has had five points during the run.

7:07 Remaining - The Mountaineers continue to hold a 18-10 lead in this semi-finals matchup.  West Virginia has gone to their bench early in hopes of it paying off later.  WVU has struggled in games in which they have found themselves in foul trouble.

3:57 Remaining – The Scarlet Knights have gone on a 7-0 run to slim the lead down to four at 21-17.  Rutgers could find themselves in foul trouble later in the game as they already have eight team fouls.

1:49 Remaning – Rutgers has tied the game at 21 as they are still on an 11-0 run.  WVU is having both turnover and shooting troubles.

End of Half -Rutgers used a long pass to capitalize on a lagging WVU defense to net a layup.  The Scarlet Knights then picked off a Madina Ali inbounds pass right before the buzzer for another layup to tie the score at 25 apiece at the half.

15:44 Remaining – WVU has taken a 32-31 lead out of the half, and their defense is continuing to step up to the plate for them when they need it most.

11:57 Remaning – WVU has taken a 40-35 lead on the heels of a 9-0 run.  Sarah Miles currently leads all scorers with 11 points.

7:54 Remaining – WVU is now up 47-39, but center Asya Bussie now has 4 fouls and is sitting on the bench.  Natalie Burton has filled in admirably for Bussie tonight, but there is definitely a difference in the Mountaineers game without their freshman center

3:11 Remaining – WVU has taken an 52-46 lead, but the Scarlet Knights have cut their lead in half from the 12 points at which it was, the 12 point lead was the largest lead of the game for the Mountaineers

17.9 Remaining – The Mountaineers have this contest locked up with a 55-49 lead and Sarah Miles going to the line with a 1-and-1 opportunity

Heading to interviews, so check tomorrows DA print edition for a full recap as well as a title game preview.

We’re courtside at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., for quarterfinal action between the second-seeded Mountaineers and the seventh-seeded Blue Demons. You can catch this one live on ESPNU at 6 p.m. Former WVU standout Meg Bulger is the analyst for tonight’s broadcast.

A few fun facts before this one gets underway:

• The last two games between the two teams have been decided in overtime. West Virginia defeated the Blue Demons on Jan. 9 in Morgantown, while DePaul eliminated West Virginia from last year’s Big East Conference.
• West Virginia is 8-8 all-time in the Big East Tournament under Mike Carey.

1st half

15:11 remaining – West Virginia looks out of its league right now as DePaul leads 6-4. DePaul should be winning by a lot more if its wide-open shots would had fallen.

7:34 remaining – After West Virginia built itself a six-point lead, DePaul fought back. The Mountaineers lead 13-11.

2:59 remaining – Liz Repella is on fire as she has hit two three-point shots in the last four minutes. West Virgina leads 23-13.

HALFTIME - West Virginia leads 26-17

2nd Half

15:17 remaining - West Virginia couldn’t keep up the momentum in the second half as DePaul started on a 7- 1 run to cut the score to 27-24.

FINAL – WVU wins 47-41 and advances to the semi-finals tomorrow at 8 p.m.

Welcome inside the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia for the final game of West Virginia’s regular season. It’s an important one, at that. With a win and a Pittsburgh loss against Rutgers later today, the Mountaineers could claim at No. 2 seed in next week’s Big East Conference Tournament. With a loss, the Wildcats will clinch the No. 2 seed while West Virginia will likely fall to No. 4.

OVERTIME

Scottie Reynolds misses a 3-pointer from the corner at the buzzer. WVU wins 68-66.

26.3 Remaining - Da’Sean Butler comes through with two clutch free throws but Corey Stokes hit a 3 pointer from the corner to tie the game once again.

51.5 Remaining - Jonnie West entering the game for West Virginia.

1:23 Remaining - Kevin Jones is coming up big for WVU in overtime. The sophomore has WVU’s only four points of the half and is keeping the Mountaineers in the game. Truck Bryant fouls out.

SECOND HALF

3:15 Remaining - Wellington Smith coming through with eight points in a span of just over a minute following a Bob Huggins technical foul to give the Mountaineers the lead back with 4:18 remaining. Pena just went 1-for-2 at the line to tie the game at 53-53.

9:30 Remaining - Jay Wright gets a technical foul and Da’Sean Butler makes him pay. Butler hit 4-of-4 free-throws after previously being fouled to give WVU its first lead of the game. VU has fought back to tie the game twice since.

11:46 Remaining - And somehow, this game is tied. The score is now tied 34-34 courtesy of Devin Ebanks after a putback and two free throws. West Virginia began the half on an 18-5 run.

15:38 Remaining - Well, it’s good to see the Mountaineers (or, at least Da’Sean Butler) figured out their free-throw shooting at halftime. The free throws have sparked somewhat of an offensive outburst for WVU. That’s right, 11 points in 4:22. More importantly, Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes each have three personal fouls.

FIRST HALF

• The Mountaineers’ 16 points in the first half were the lowest opening half performance of the season. WVU scored 25 first-half points in the its losses to Syracuse and Notre Dame.
• West Virginia’s struggles from the free throws continue as WVU ended 2-for-10 from the line in the first half.
• WVU was outrebounded by Villanova 22-17.
• Da’Sean Butler and Deniz Kilicili led West Virginia in the first half, both ending with four points.
• And my personal favorite…6 field goals made, 5 airballs

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West Virginia women’s basketball head coach Mike Carey received a phone call from his wife following the loss to Syracuse Monday night.

The phone call prompted him to begin Thursday’s interview session with the media by joking, “Nobody print that I wasnt at practice today. I almost got a divorce.”

What happened, you ask?

Apparently when Carey didn’t show up for interviews following the game (he sent Associate Head Coach George Porcha instead), an Associated Press writer covering the event wrote in a recap stating that Carey wasn’t at the game.

“My wife called,” Carey said. “She said, ‘Where were you if you weren’t at the game?’

“I almost got in trouble.”

Then Carey’s sense of humor caught up to him.

“I wish I wasn’t at the game to be honest with you,” he said, referring to the blown 14-point lead which resulted in a 19-point loss.

West Virginia plays its first game of the 2010 Big East Tournament Sunday at 6 p.m. in Hartford, Conn. We’ll be there live blogging, so check us out online.

Another ESPN Big Monday showdown in the Big East Conference. The Hoyas (19-8, 9-7 Big East Conference) have struggled of late, losing three of their last four contests. West Virginia has won three of its last four and looks to send seniors Da’Sean Butler, Wellington Smith and Cam Payne off on a winning note.

Pregame Notes

• Georgetown leading scorer Austin Freeman will not play in tonight’s game due to a stomach virus. Freeman played 23 minutes in Saturday’s loss to Notre Dame and was ineffective for the most part. Freeman traveled with his teammates to Morgantown yesterday but evidently felt worse after arriving and was sent back home. The junior averages 17 points per game.
• WVU honored Butler, Smith and Payne moments ago. Butler is the school’s fourth all-time leading scorer and has averaged double digits in each of his four collegiate years.
• The Mountaineers can clinch a top four seed and earn a double-bye in next week’s Big East Conference Tournament with a win tonight.

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We’re here live for the West Virginia women’s basketball team’s final home game of the season. The Mountaineers are trying to go 17-0 for the first time in program history.

Another observation – West Virginia and Marquette share very similar colors. When Marquette came out of the tunnel, fans were cheering until they realized it wasn’t West Virginia. Too confusing for me.

Game Notes:

• West Virginia’s current ranking of No. 7 is the highest in program history
• It’s senior night….for the one student manager. WVU is one of 15 schools nationally to not have a senior on its roster.
• Dating back to last year, West Virginia has won 18 straight games at home.
• West Virginia is 1-3 all-time against Marquette with its only win coming Jan. 16, 2008 in Morgantown.

2nd half

FINAL: West Virginia wins 69-56.

7:36 remaining – Marquette is making a run to try to get back in the game. It’s scored five unanswered following a few questionable calls on West Virginia. The Mountaineers leads 59-43.

12:00 remaining – West Virginia has control of the game and should win as it leads 51-34.

15:02 remaining – It didn’t take West Virginia long to jump out to another lead – it leads 42-29. Madina Ali started the run with a steal involving a split. I can’t really explain it. It was Sportscenter quality, though.

HALFTIME – West Virginia gives up a 3-point shot as times expires to carry just a 31-26 lead into the locker room.

3:55 remaining – Marquette is making a little bit of a run before halftime. West Virginia still leads 26-18.

7:13 remaining – West Virginia has blown this game open as it leads 24-12. Marquette can’t find an answer for junior Sarah Miles. She has four assists, four points, and zero turnovers.

11:43 remaining – West Virginia leads 17-10 with the ball.

15:00 remaining - West Virginia has gotten out to a fast start offensively as it leads 12-9. The Mountaineers have struggled stopping the Marquette offense. Korinne Campbell scored the first eight points of the game for West Virginia.

The first of a West Virginia basketball doubleheader is about to begin as the men welcome Cincinnati to the WVU Coliseum. The No. 7 Mountaineer women host Marquette at 7 p.m.

Two reasons to keep your eyes on the crowd during today’s game. First of all, today’s game marks the annual Mountaineer Mascot Cheer-Off where the final four candidates to become next year’s Mountaineer mascot will be in action around the Coliseum. Today is also Junior Day for the WVU football team where 32 junior recruits are expected to be in attendance.

WVU 74, UC 68 -  Huggins finally gets his win over his former club as the Mountaineers used a come-from-behind performance ion the second half to damper the Bearcats’ dreams of an NCAA Tournament bid. WVU will be back in action Monday against Georgetown, who fell to Notre Dame today at home. It’ll be senior night for Da’Sean Butler and Wellington Smith and also could secure a top four seed in the Big East Tournament. Be sure to tune in at 7 p.m. as we’ll be blogging live from the WVU women’s game against Marquette.

.48 Remaining - Wsed a est Virginia up four points after Vaughn hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

4:39 Remaining - The Bearcats regained the lead briefly before a Kevin Jones 3-pointer and a Devin Ebanks putback. The Mountaineers are up six points while Mick Cronin has elected to risk Deonta Vaughn and Yancy Gates getting their fifth foul as both have been in the game for last minute.

9:18 Remaining - Both Gates and Vaughn are forced to the bench with four fouls each. It’ll be interesting to see if WVU can take advantage of their absence.

9:58 Remaining - Cincinnati comes back and has tied the game 56-56. West Virginia hasn’t played well with the short lead it has had.

11:32 Remaining - Kevin Jones gives WVU its first lead since early in the first half on a lay up. Ebanks took the fast break on the other end for a shot and a foul for a 56-52 advantage. West Virginia is now on a 20-6 run.

12:41 Remaining - West Virginia is now down one, 52-51, after a strong performance is just the past 20 seconds. It all started with a Dan Jennings putback off a missed free-throw before Da’Sean Butler blocked a 3-point attempt on the other end of the court. Ebanks then found Butler in the corner seconds later for a 3-pointer, forcing a UC timeout.

16:20 Remaining - After a slow start to the second half, the Mountaineers are slowing getting back into the game. WVU is down four.

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Welcome to this afternoon’s live blog from the WVU Coliseum. Seton Hall (15-9, 6-7 Big East) is in town in search of its fourth consecutive conference win, while the Mountaineers (20-5, 9-4) hope to remain in third place in the Big East.

Pregame Notes:

• Seton Hall leading scorer Jeremy Hazell will be in the starting lineup today. Hazell missed most of Seton Hall’s 59-50 win over St. John’s Wednesday with a deep cut between fingers on his shooting hand. You may remember Hazell scoring 41 points in a prior meeting with WVU this season, a 90-84 Mountaineer win in overtime in Newark, N.J.
• Seton hall backup point guard Eugene Harvey will not play today due to a wrist injury. It will be the second consecutive game Harvey has missed.
• WVU point guard Truck Bryant will also be starting, despite a deep cut beneath his left eye. Bryant was accidentally scratched in Thursday’s practice by Casey Mitchell.
• The Mountaineers are 14-11 all-time against the Pirates and have won each of the last five contests.

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There is no doubt the atmosphere won’t be as raucous inside the WVU Coliseum Saturday as Seton Hall (despite having a good year) won’t bring out another record crowd. After the week or so of negative media attention leading up to the clash with then-No. 5 Villanova, I talked to some students before and during halftime of the game to get their thoughts. Below is the video.