MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Tynice Martin has been here before: Huge underdog on the road against a nationally-ranked top-10 team.
A win today at No. 10 Mississippi State, in the annual Big 12/SEC Challenge would put the Mountaineers firmly on the national radar, while a defeat could show just how far WVU still has to go to in being a NCAA tournament contender.
“It’s one of those games where you get up for,” Martin said. “This is one of the games we’ve been looking forward to, especially after coming back from Cancun, where we went 1-1. It’s going to be a big deal.”
Mississippi State’s lone loss of the season was a five-point setback against No. 1 Stanford.
The Bulldogs (8-1) are just two years removed from playing for the national championship.
They have one of the top players in the country in 6-foot-5 center Jessika Carter, who averages 15.1 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.
“We have to play her by the scouting report,” Martin said. “We still have to try and make her do things that she’s not comfortable doing. That’s the same with any team we play. Honestly, we just have to play our game. It comes down to what we bring to the table.”
What the Mountaineers (5-1) bring to the table is a roster built very similar to the Bulldogs with a style of play that keys on many of the same strengths.
“They’re very athletic,” said Martin, who is averaging 12.3 points per game this season. “They have height, just like we do. They have strength, just like we do.
“Discipline is going to go a long way for us. When we looked at film, they basically play the same defense we do. Honestly, it’s like we have to learn to play against ourselves. That’s kind of weird to say.”
WVU’s lone loss came in last week’s Cancun Challenge, where the Mountaineers fell to Creighton, before beating New Mexico.
“We got in foul trouble with several players (against Creighton). They called it extremely close down there,” WVU head coach Mike Carey said. “We got caught a little shorthanded. Creighton reminded me of the old Villanova teams, where all five players could shoot the three.”
Carey said while it’s still early in the season, the match-up against the Bulldogs is a huge opportunity.
“They’re a complete team,” Carey said. “They can go inside and outside. It’s going to be a great game. I’m actually looking forward to it to see where we’re at and go from there.”
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