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opening tip... Tuesday's game against West Virginia marks the sixth meeting in the all-time series dating back to the 1979-80 season.
• West Virginia has won the last three meetings to take a 3-2 advantage in the series.
• West Virginia defeated the Mount 76-63 in the last tilt  between the two teams on Nov. 22, 2002.
• Mount St. Mary's has two wins against West Virginia, including its only Division I win against a BCS program with a 78-75 decision on Dec. 6, 1994.

about the wvu mountaineers... West Virginia comes into the contest 7-3 after falling 61-55 at Duquesne on Saturday.
• Junior C Asya Bussie paced the Mountaineers with 21 points and nine rebounds against the Dukes. The junior registered 19 points in a 76-72 win against Syracuse on Dec. 7. Bussie ranks second on the team with 13.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
• Sophomore G Taylor Palmer   powers the squad with 16.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Palmer recorded 16 points in an 86-30 victory against North Florida on Dec. 10.
• Junior C Ayana Dunning is third on the team with 7.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. The junior posted 15 points and nine rebounds against the Osprey.
• Freshman G Akilah Bethel and sophomore G Brooke Hampton each scored 10 points off the bench against North Florida. Bethel is averaging 5.4 points and 0.9 rebounds per game while Hampton is averaging 4.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.

last time we met... West Virginia defeated Mount St. Mary's 76-63 on Nov. 22, 2002 in Emmitsburg. Adrienne Harris paced the Mount with 32 points. Beth Foster tallied 14 points and 10 rebounds while Myriam Baccouche chipped in 10 points. Sherell Sowho fueled West Virginia with 15 points while Kate Bulger (14 points), Yolanda Paige (12 points) and Michelle Carter (11 points) each posted double figures in the season opener.

up against the big east... Mount St. Mary's is 8-27 all-time against Big East teams and 1-24 since switching to Division I in 1988-89.
• The Mount has played Cincinnati (0-1), Georgetown (5-11), Notre Dame (1-0), St. John's (0-2), Seton Hall (0-2), Pittsburgh (0-5), Villanova (0-3) and West Virginia (2-3).
• The Mount's lone Division I win was a 78-75 decision over West Virginia on Dec. 6, 1994. All five of the Mountaineers wins against Georgetown came prior to 1988-89 and the win against the Irish was in 1981.
• West Virginia will be the second of two Big East teams the Mount will play this season. Mount St. Mary's lost 58-45 at Pittsburgh on Nov. 29.
• It marks the fourth time in program history the Mount will compete against two Big East programs in a campaign. In 2006-07, the Mount faced Pittsburgh and Georgetown and took on the Hoyas and West Virginia in 1994-95 before facing the Panthers and Cincinnati last year.

quick hits on the loyola game... Sophomore Ashley Christie posted nine of her team-high 14 points in the final eight minutes to lift the Mount to a 59-54 decision against Loyola on Dec. 10.
• Christie gave the Mount the lead for good on a jumper at 7:35 to give the Mountaineers the lead for good and then hit a crucial 3-pointer with 2:22 left.
• Junior Selina Mann added 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. The 5-4 guard has grabbed at least five rebounds four times this season and four rebounds in six contests.
• Junior Sydney Henderson posted nine points against the Greyhounds. The junior has posted at least eight points six times this season, including a team-high four double-figure performances.
• The Mount has won its first three games in December for the first time since 1998-99.
• Mount St. Mary's has won four of its last five games. The squad has won five of its first nine games for the first time since 1999-00.
• The Mount is looking for its first four-game winning streak since 1999-00.

next on tap... Mount St. Mary's will return to action with three-straight games at Knott Arena. The Mount host Rider (Dec. 29), Bucknell (Dec. 31) and Howard (Jan. 3).
•  The Mount will restart NEC play at Fairleigh Dickinson (Jan. 7) and at Monmouth (Jan. 9).
a different kind of december... Mount St. Mary's has won its first three games in December for the first time since 1998-99.
• Prior to this season, the Mount was 1-17 in games before Christmas and 4-4 in contests after Dec. 25.

if you win one day, and you win one today that is called a winning streak... Mount St. Mary's has won three in a row and four of its last five games.
• It is the squad's first three-game winning streak since taking the final three regular season games in the 2008-09 season.
• It is only the second three-game winning streak under head coach Bryan Whitten while the squad has one back-to-back games under Whitten nine times.
• It is the 39th time since the squad moved to Division I in 1989-90 the Mount has posted a winning streak of three games or more.
• The longest winning streak in the squad's Division I era is 18 games during the 1994-95 season.

the view from the top... With its wins against Long Island (44-43, Dec. 3) and St. Francis (N.Y.) (70-48, Dec. 5), the Mountaineers are 2-0 in Northeast Conference play for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
• The Mountaineers are 2-0 in the NEC for the 12th time in program history. It marks only third time since the 2001-02 campaign the Mount has won its first two league games.
• Each time the squad won its opening league game, it went on to the participate in the NEC Tournament.
• When the squad opens the season 2-0, the Mount has won the NEC regular season six times.

in the nec... The Mount leads the NEC in 3-pointers made (6.33). The squad also ranks second in 3-pointer percentage (.331), third in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.76) and fourth in both scoring defense (54.7) and turnover margin (+2.22).
• Junior Sydney Henderson ranks second in the  circuit in minutes (35.56) and fourth in 3-pointers made (1.89).

rock the knott... Mount St. Mary's has won its first three games of the season at Knott Arena for the first time since the 1997-98  season.
• It marks only the sixth time the squad has opened up by winning its first three games at Knott Arena.
• The squad has won the first four games at Knott Arena five times (1987-88, 1988-89, 1990-91, 1996-97, 1997-98).

on the road... Junior Sydney Henderson is averaging 10.0 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in five road games this season.
• The junior has an 18-point performances at American and a career-high 20 points at Towson this season.
• Senior Sandra Andresson averaged 9.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game away from Emmitsburg. The senior has posted four games with at least nine points on the road this year.
• The Mount is averaging 56.6 points per game while allowing 60.4 points per game on the road. The squad is shooting 40.2 points per game away from the Mount.
• Mount St. Mary's is 1-4 this season on the road, but have lost three straight.

in the last five... The Mount is 4-1 in its last five games and has won three-straight games.
• Junior Sydney Henderson is averaging 9.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in that stretch. Henderson has scored eight points in four of the contests including 18 points against St. Francis (N.Y.) on Dec. 5.

defense is back baby... After struggling last season defensively, the Mount has returned to its defensive ways under head coach Bryan Whitten in 2011-12.
• The Mount is allowing 54.7 points per game this season after allowing 64.8 points per game last season.
• The Mount has held its opponent under 60 points seven times this season, including three times under 50 points.
• The Mountaineers have not allowed more than 58 points in a contest in their last five games.
• Mount St. Mary's is 5-2 when it keeps an opponent under 60 points this season and 4-0 when the opponents are held under 50 points.

second-chance points... Mount St. Mary's has been outrebounded in six of the nine games this season.
• The opponent has registered 95 second-chance points to the Mount's 71.
• The Mountaineers are 2-0 when it outrebounds an opponent with wins against UMES on Nov. 15 and against St. Francis (N.Y.) on Dec. 5. Mount St. Mary's held a 41-39 edge against the Hawks and a 28-24 margin against the Terriers. In those two games, the Mount has posted 28 second-chance points to 16.  
• The Mount ended the game against Pittsburgh with the same amount of boards (42).
• The game against Towson came down to rebounds. The Tigers outrebounded the Mount by 31 boards and held a 20-7 margin in second-chance points.
• Junior Selina Mann (4.8 rpg.) is the squad's top rebounder.

i'm a weekend kind of girl... Sophomore Ashley Christie is averaging 11.9 points per game in 16 games on the weekend.
• Christie is averaging 12.3 points per game in three weekend games this season. The sophomore posted a season-high 16 points against Navy on Nov. 26 and 14 points against Loyola on Dec. 10.
• The sophomore has posted double figures in eight of her last 10 Saturday games and is averaging 14.0 points per game in that stretch.
• Christie is averaging 12.7 points per game in nine weekend league games.
• The sophomore posted 10 of her 16 double-digit performances on the weekend. Those 10 games also represent her Top-10 performances.  

how sydney got her groove back… Junior Sydney Henderson is averaging 11.3 points per game in her last 10 games and has led the team in scoring five times in that stretch.
• Henderson posted 18 points against American on Nov. 18  and a career-high 20 points against Towson on Nov. 22. She also had 18 points against St. Francis (N.Y.) on Dec. 5.
• The junior has grabbed four rebounds in four of her last five games and is averaging 5.0 rebounds in that span.
• Henderson scored 17 points against Virginia in her only action last season before suffering a season-ending injury in the contest.

no cough in second year for kaufman... Sophomore Jessie Kaufman ranks second on the team with 7.4 points per game.
• Kaufman notched a career-high 19 points against UMES on Nov. 15.
• She has scored at least nine points four times this season
• The sophomore has five double-digit performances in her career.

career highlights... Freshman Mariah Powell scored a career-high nine points against St. Francis (N.Y.) on Dec. 5.
• Junior Sydney Henderson scored a career-high 20 points against Towson on Nov. 22.
• Sophomore Rachel Mathews had a career-high 10 points versus American on Nov. 18.
• Sophomore Jessie Kaufman notched a career-best 19 points against UMES on Nov. 15.
• Sophomore Kelly Guerriero had a career-high 13 points against Bingamton on Nov. 11.

man oh mann, selina... Mount St. Mary's can pretty much count on getting five from junior Selina Mann every game. The only question is will it be five points, five rebounds, five assists or five steals.
• This season, Mann has posted at a five spot in two categories four times and in four categories once this season.
• Mann has posted a five spot in one of those categories in 50 of the 63 games.
• The junior has posted a five spot in two of those categories 19 times, twice in three categories and three times in four different categories.
• She has scored five points 35 times in her career, including 17 two-digit performances and a career-high 26 at San Jose State on Dec. 29, 2010.
• The 5-4 guard has posted five rebounds 17 times in her career, including two 10-board performances.
• Mann has dished out five assists 15 times in her career including a career-high eight helpers against San Fransisco on Dec. 31, 2010 and against Towson on Nov. 22, 2011.
• The junior has registered five steals in a game six times in her career, including tying a program record with 10 thefts against Sacred Heart on Jan. 24, 2011. She also has eight games of four steal to her credit.
• Mann leads the team with three double-doubles. She has two points-rebounds tricks and one points-steals. She is only the third player in Mount Division I history with a double-double that includes steals. The junior recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds against American on Nov. 18.

the need to dial long distance for 1-2-3... The NCAA changed the three-point line for the 2011-12 women's basketball season to 20 feet, nine inches, which is the same distance men's basketball has been using for several years.
• Last season, the Mount led the Northeast Conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.355) and had three players rank in the Top-10 in the category.  
• The Mount is 57-for-172 this season from behind the arc, including 13-for-23 against Towson on Nov. 22. The 13 made 3-pointers tied a program record. The squad also hit 13 treys against North Carolina on Feb. 27, 1989.
• Junior Sydney Henderson leads the team with 17 baskets from behind the arc while sophomore Jessie Kaufman has 11.

in their collegiate debut... Freshman Mariah Powell was the lone freshman to make her collegiate debut in the season opener against Binghamton.
• Powell entered the game with 67 seconds left and registered her first career points on a pair of free throws with 52 seconds left and her first collegiate rebound with 19 ticks on the clock.
• Fellow freshmen Jen Carney and Melanie Mocniak  made their collegiate debut after entering the game against Pittsburgh with 1:50 left on Nov. 29.
• Carney notched her first collegiate basket in the second half against Long Island on Dec. 3 and finished with a career-high five points.

would the real jessie kaufman please stand up... There are now to Jessica Kaufman's in the Northeast Conference.
• Sophomore Jessie Kaufman is in her second season at the Mount while freshman Jessica Kaufman joined the St. Francis (N.Y.) team this season.

in the month... Mount St. Mary's is 108-90 in the month of December in program history. The Mount is 53-25 at home, 43-48 on the road and 12-17 at a neutral site in the month.
• The Mountaineers are 54-80 in December since switching to Division I in 1988-89. The team is 25-21 at Knott Arena, 20-44 on the road and 9-15 at a neutral site.
• Under head coach Bryan Whitten, the Mount is 8-20 overall, 3-5 at home, 5-13 on the road and 0-1 at a neutral site in the month.
• Mount St. Mary's played its first-ever contest in program history in the month of December, falling to Loyola 60-31 on Dec. 4, 1974.

in the non-conference slate... Mount St. Mary's is 78-119 in non-conference games since joining the Northeast Conference in 1989-90.

home sweet home... In its 25th season at Knott Arena, Mount St. Mary's has posted a 212-103 overall mark, including 71-43 in non-conference play and 141-60 in league play since moving across Route 15 from Memorial Gym.

tops in the league... Mount St. Mary's has posted the most wins in the Northeast Conference since joining the league in 1989-90 with 247 victories.
• The Mount has the third-most wins in league history, trailing only Monmouth (264) and Saint Francis (Pa.) (272).
• The Mount is 248-142 in Northeast Conference play, including 141-58 at Knott Arena and 107-83 on the road.

hearing your name called at the start... Head coach Bryan Whitten has only had 19 players start in his four-year tenure at the Mount.
• Senior Sandra Andresson has started 85 of the 96 games she has played.
• Junior  Sydney Henderson started 24 of the 35 games she has played, including 16- straight games she has played.
• Junior Tara Lonergan has started 11 games in her career.
• Sophomore Ashley Christie has started the first 38 games of her collegiate career.
• Sophomore Jessie Kaufman has started nine games while fellow sophomore Rachel Mathews has started eight-straight games and sophomore Kayla Grossett has started two contests.

preseason poll... The Mount St. Mary's women's basketball team has been picked 11th in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Preseason Coaches Poll. Five of the 12 teams in the league garnered first place votes with Saint Francis (Pa.) being tabbed the preseason favorite after picking up four first place nods. Robert Morris, Long Island, Monmouth and Sacred Heart each picked up two first place votes apiece. The Colonials and Blackbirds placed 2-3 in the poll while the Hawks and Pioneers finished tied for fourth. Quinnipiac, Fairleigh Dickinson, Bryant, Central Connecticut State, Wagner, Mount St. Mary's and St. Francis (N.Y.) rounded out the 12-team poll.

let's play to 60 points... Mount St. Mary's is most successful under head coach Bryan Whitten when it scores 60 points in a game or holds the opponent under that total.
• The Mount is 25-21 when it scores 60 points in a game, but 19-56 when it does not reach 60 points.
• Defensively, the Mountaineers are 35-26 when the opponents are held under 60 points and 9-55 when the opponent reaches 60 points.

three keys to whitten success... The Mount is most successful under head coach Bryan Whitten when the squad leads at halftime, in rebounding or keeps the opponent under 60 points.
• The Mount is 35-16 when he holds the lead at halftime, 2-3 when the game is tied, but just 8-62 when trailing at the break.
• The squad is 20-16 when it holds a rebounding edge in a game, but just 23-60 when the opponent has the advantage and 2-5 when the two teams have equal boards.
• Mount St. Mary's is 35-26 when it holds opponents under 60 points.

hitting 20 points in a game... Senior Sandra Andresson, juniors Sydney Henderson and Selina Mann and sophomore Ashley Christie are the only four players on the roster that has scored 20 points in a game.
• Henderson became the first player this season to reach 20 points when she scored a career-best 20 points against Towson on Nov. 22.
• Mann scored a career-high 26 points against San Jose State on Dec. 29, 2010.
• Christie posted a career-high 21 points against Fairleigh Dickinson on Feb. 5, 2011.
• Andresson registered a career-best 25 points against Monmouth on Feb. 7, 2011.
• The Mount has registered 25 20-point performances and two 30-point games under head coach Bryan Whitten. The squad is 13-12 when a player reaches 20 points and 2-0 when a player scores 30 in a contest.

players on the move... Senior Sandra Andresson ranks 45th with 609 career points She can move into 44th place with seven points, 43rd place with 13 points and 42nd place with 70 points.
• Junior Selina Mann has 398 points for her career to rank 62nd and can move into 61st place with 22 points.
• Sophomore Ashley Christie has 341 points to rank 64th in program history. The sophomore can move into 63rd place with five points and needs 59 points for 400 in her career.
• Junior Sydney Henderson has 256 career points to sit in 76th place. Henderson can move into 75th place with 19 points and 74th place with 24 points.
• Sophomore Jessie Kaufman ranks 84th with 195 career points. She can move into 83rd place with two points, 82nd place with nine points and 81st place with 24 points.
• Sophomore Kayla Grossett ranks 86th place with 186 points. She can move into 85th place with seven points, 84th place with nine points, 83rd place with 11 points and 82nd place with 18 points.
• Junior Tara Lonergan sits in 89th place with 181 points  and she can jump into 88th place with one point, 86th place with five points, 85 place with 12 points, 84th place with 14 points and 83rd place with 16 points.
• Sophomore Kelly Guerriero (130 points) will be the next players to crack the program's Top-100, needing 14 points.

new to the mountain... Head coach Bryan Whitten added four players to his 2011-12 team. Freshmen Jen Carney, Melanie Mocniak, Mariah Powell and Lindsay Williams all joined the team this season.
• Sophomore Jacqueline Brewer also joined the team, but will have to sit out this season due to NCAA transfer regulations. Brewer comes to the Mount after playing at Virginia Commonwealth last year.

northeast conference history... Prior to the last two seasons, the Mount had advanced to 20-straight NEC Tournaments.
• Mount St. Mary's is 17-17 in the NEC Tournament.
• The Mountaineers have not won a tournament game since a 50-45 win against Sacred Heart on Mar. 4, 2001.
• Mount St. Mary's won tournaments in 1992-93, 1993-94 and 1994-95, including earning the league's first two NCAA Division I bids.

the underlining whit... Head coach Bryan Whitten is in his fifth season at the Mount. The Mount is 45-81 overall under Whitten.
• The Mount is 23-35 overall at Knott Arena and 15-23 in NEC play under Whitten.
• The Mountaineers on the road are 22-46  overall mark away from Emmitsburg and 11-22 in league play.
• Whitten picked up his first Mount win with a 55-51 decision at Lafayette on Nov. 17, 2007 and earned his 25th career in at Lafayette on Nov. 30, 2009.
• Whitten earned his 250th win of his career against Quinnipiac on Jan. 30, 2010.

foreign flavor... Mount St. Mary's has two international players on the roster in 2011-12.
• Senior Sandra Andresson (Estonia) became the fourth international player in Emmitsburg and sophomore Kayla Grossett (Canada) became the fifth international player at the Mount.
• The trio follows Katie Walton (Canada, 1998-02), Dita Krumberga (Latvia, 2004-07), and Leah Westbrooks (Ireland, 2007-11.

out of africa... Former women's basketball player Leah Westbrooks was named the recipient of the Shooting Touch Inc. Sabbatical Program grant.
• Westbrooks received $25,000 to help with travel cost and expenses on her 10-month international independent study in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Westbrooks is currently in South Africa to work with the Hoops for Hope group and Western Zimbabwe with the Matilda Project.
• Check out this video of Westbrooks: http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2011/09/24/20110924_shooting_touch.nba