Caldwell and Holmes lead West Virginia to 76-61 opening round NCAA win over Albany
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Christal Caldwell scored 26 points, Bria Holmes added 20, and West Virginia defeated Albany 76-61 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday.
Averee Fields added 10 points for second-seeded West Virginia (30-4), which will try to win a second-round game for the first time in program history Tuesday night against No. 7 seed LSU.
Megan Craig led the 15th-seeded Great Danes (28-5) with 23 points. But the 6-foot-9 center was hampered by two quick fouls that limiter her playing time in the first half.
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When Craig went to the bench, the Mountaineers went on a 16-2 run to take a 33-11 lead, and Albany never quite recovered.
Great Danes leading scorer and America East Player of the Year Shereesha Richards also got into foul trouble and was limited to only nine points before fouling out with four minutes remaining in the game.