MORGANTOWN -- If the West Virginia women's basketball team wants to better its 14-14 record of last season, the players had better learn to practice with more consistency.
That was the message second-year coach Mike Carey wanted to get across to his youthful team this week.
"Last Friday, we had a real poor practice," he said. "Then we gave them Saturday off and they came back Sunday and had a good practice, and we had a good one on Monday.
"But Tuesday was another bad one."
Carey believes inconsistent practices will lead to inconsistency once the season begins
"If we keep practicing like this, then we'll start playing games like that and we can't afford to do that," Carey said. "If you play great one night and terrible the next, you're not going to have a winning record."
What's troubled Carey the most thus far is the lack of scoring in the paint.
"We can't afford to go another season only getting scoring from Kate (Bulger), Sherell (Sowho) and Yolanda (Page)," he said. "Someone's got to step up and give us a consistent scoring threat inside."
Carey believes there are plenty of candidates to do it.
"Liz Holbrook and Michelle Carter have shown some signs of doing it, but not consistently," Carey said. "And we need Tish (Latitia) Williams to step up too.
"Holbrook has all the tools and Carter has the athleticism to be a presence in the paint."
Holbrook is a 6-foot-2 sophomore who sat out last season after transferring from Clemson. She was a first-team, Kodak All-American at Oxford (Mich.) High School.
The 6-1 Carter was listed as the 16th best junior college player in the country last year at Westark Community College Fort Smith, Ark. She averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds a game.
Williams, a 6-1 sophomore, sat out last season after transferring from St. Francis (Pa.).
The WVU women will tip off their regular season Nov. 22 at Mt. St. Mary's in Emmittsburg, Md.
Sports writer Greg Talkington can be reached at 626-1444 or by e-mail at gtalkington@exponent-telegram.com
