MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — At one point in the second half Thursday of West Virginia’s 74-45 season-opening victory against Saint Francis (Pa.), someone pulled the fire alarm inside the WVU Coliseum.
No one had to be evacuated, not that WVU coach Mike Carey was against the idea.
“There was times during the game I wish we would have had to get out,” he joked.
It was indeed a weird opener for the Mountaineers (1-0), who improved to 16-3 under Carey in the first game of the season.
The game was tied at 17 at the end of the first quarter. The Red Flash’s 17 points were two more than they scored in the entire first half in a 105-41 loss against Virginia Tech on Tuesday.
Saint Francis (0-2) held a lead as late as 3:38 remaining in the second quarter and the Mountaineers needed nearly five minutes of the third quarter before scoring their first points of the second half.
“We obviously still have some kinks that need to be worked out,” said WVU guard Kysre Gondrezick, who led the Mountaineers with 24 points.
The bigger news for WVU was off the court sitting on the bench, which is where senior guard Tynice Martin was in sweats watching from the sideline.
Minutes before the start of the game, the school announced Martin had been reinstated to the team after being suspended in August for a violation of team rules.
She pleaded no contest Wednesday to a battery charge stemming from an incident on July 15, in which a police report stated that Martin and a friend went to the victim’s house and allegedly pushed the victim against a storm door, where she was choked, beaten and shoved.
“Very excited to have her back, needless to say,” Carey said. “She’ll make 10 on our roster and I think all 10 will help us.”
Carey said Martin would begin practicing with the team today, but would not dress for Sunday’s game against Presbyterian.
She’ll then continue to practice next week and will likely make her debut on Nov. 17 against Radford, in a game that will be played in Beckley.
“We’ll see where she’s at conditioning-wise and that type of stuff,” Carey said.
“It was great. Happy to have her,” Gondrezick added. “She’ll be back at practice (Friday), so we’re ready. Having her presence there tonight, not only was it good for the team, I think it was better for her to come back and know that we were open to allowing her to come in. She deserves to be here.”
Gondrezick’s three 3-pointers in the second half helped WVU pull away after Saint Francis got as close as 40-34 with 5:40 left in the third quarter.
Esmery Martinez, a prized freshman recruit who missed her senior season of high school with a knee injury, also chipped in with a solid game with nine points and eight rebounds.
WVU shot 9 of 15 (60%) in the fourth quarter to seal the outcome.
“You look at Esmery, this was the first time she’d played in over a year,” Carey said. “She was so nervous. She didn’t understand some of the plays we were running. On defense, at times, she didn’t switch and didn’t talk, but she’s young. Those kinds of things are going to happen, but I think she can get double-doubles for us eventually.”
Kari Niblack added 10 points and seven rebounds and Rochelle Norris also added 10 points.
West Virginia’s #12, Esmery Martinez pushes to the hoop against Saint Francis at the WVU coliseum on Thursday. 
West Virginia’s #3, Kirsten Deans drives to the hoop against Saint Francis at the WVU coliseum on Thursday. 
West Virginia’s #31, Rochelle Norris drives to the hoop against Saint Francis at the WVU coliseum on Thursday. 
West Virginia’s #31, Rochelle Norris drives to the hoop against Saint Francis at the WVU coliseum on Thursday. 
West Virginia’s #4, Lucky Rudd controls the ball against Saint Francis at the WVU coliseum on Thursday. 
West Virginia’s #31, Rochelle Norris drives to the hoop against Saint Francis at the WVU coliseum on Thursday. 
West Virginia’s #31, Rochelle Norris drives to the hoop against Saint Francis at the WVU coliseum on Thursday. 
Morgantown’s #2, Kysre Gondrezick plays aggressive against Saint Francis at the WVU coliseum on Thursday. 
Morgantown’s #2, Kysre Gondrezick plays aggressive against Saint Francis at the WVU coliseum on Thursday. 
against Saint Francis at the WVU coliseum on Thursday. 
West Virginia’s #5, against Saint Francis at the WVU coliseum on Thursday. 
West Virginia’s #5, against Saint Francis at the WVU coliseum on Thursday. 
West Virginia’s #14, Kari Niblack drives down the court against Saint Francis at the WVU coliseum on Thursday. 
West Virginia’s #12, Esmery Martinez pushes to the hoop against Saint Francis at the WVU coliseum on Thursday. 
West Virginia’s #12, Esmery Martinez pushes to the hoop against Saint Francis at the WVU coliseum on Thursday. 
West Virginia’s #12, Esmery Martinez pushes to the hoop against Saint Francis at the WVU coliseum on Thursday. 
West Virginia’s #14, Kari Niblack drives down the court against Saint Francis at the WVU coliseum on Thursday.
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