MORGANTOWN, West Virginia - No. 17 West Virginia used a 20-0 run midway through the second half to pull away from UNCW and record a 76-47 victory in collegiate women's basketball action Friday at the WVU Coliseum.

In the season opener for both programs, junior Christi Caldwell led three Mountaineer players in double figures with a game-high 21 points while fellow junior Taylor Palmer chipped in 13. Senior Ayana Dunning pitched in 11 points to go along with a game-high 10 rebounds to record a double-double.

Sophomore Jovana Mandic tallied a career-high 10 points for UNCW, who was held to just 14-of-50 (.280) shooting for the contest. Senior Karneshia Garrett and sophomore Kelva Atkins tallied eight points apiece while junior Brittany Gamby added seven. Junior Jessica Freeman pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.

Leading 49-37 with 8:31 remaining in the second half, a layup by freshman Bria Holmes sparked the Mountaineers to the game-changing run that lasted more than five minutes and saw seven different players record a point as West Virginia took its largest lead of the game, 69-37, with 3:15 remaining.  

A pair of free throws by Atkins ended the run and started an 8- 2 spurt for the Seahawks that would make it a 71-45 contest with 51 seconds on the clock. The Mountaineers tallied five of the last seven points of the game to determine the final 29-point margin.

In the first half, West Virginia scored the first six points of the game on its way to building an early 16-6 advantage.

The Mountaineers would take their biggest lead of the first half, 29-14, on a three-pointer by Caldwell at the 4:24 mark before a pair of free throws by freshman Dana Brown would spark the Seahawks to score seven of the last nine points of the frame and make it a 31-21 contest at the break. 

West Virginia scored five of the first seven points of the second half to take a 36-22 lead, only to see the Seahawks respond with a 9-2 spurt to make it a 38-31 contest.

The Mountaineers regained their 14-point cushion moments later, scoring eight of the next nine points to build a 46-32 cushion with 11:54 remaining. The two sides would trade baskets over the three minutes until Holmes' basket at the 8:31 mark would start the decisive spurt.   

UNCW returns to action Nov. 14 with a 6:30 p.m. contest against state foe Wake Forest. West Virginia is back on the court Monday with a 7 p.m. tip at Boston University. 

GAME NOTES:

• The Seahawks opened the season against a ranked opponent for the first time in program history. UNCW moved to 0-26 all-time in games against teams ranked in the top 25.
• The Seahawks moved to 21-19 all-time in season openers with the loss to the Mountaineers. It also marked the second straight season that the Seahawks opened the season with a setback.
• Head Coach Adell Harris became the first Seahawks head coach to lose their UNCW debut since Susan Yow suffered a 77-54 setback at UNC Greensboro on Nov. 28, 1993.
• The 47 points by the Seahawks represented the lowest point total for the Seahawks in a season opener since scoring 44 points in a 49-44 loss to Campbell in Nov. 17, 2001.
• West Virginia enjoyed a 32-14 advantage in points in the paint, highlighted by a 20-10 edge in the first half.
• West Virginia posted a 17-6 advantage in points off turnovers as it forced the Seahawks into 23 turnovers.
• The Mountaineers enjoyed a 49-36 advantage on the glass, highlighted by a 28-15 margin in the second half.
• West Virginia recorded a 17-4 edge in points off turnovers, including a 14-0 margin in the second half.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

1 - Jovana Mandic

• Established a new career high with 10 points against the Mountaineers. Eclipsed previous career-high of six set against North Carolina A&T on Jan. 2, 2012.
• Led team in scoring for the first time in her career.

3 - Kelva Atkins

• Made her first career start for the Seahawks against the Mountaineers.
• Scored the first points of her UNCW career with a three-pointer at the 17:06 mark of the second half.

20 - Dana Brown

• Made her collegiate debut against the Mountaineers.
• Scored the first points of her UNCW career with a free throw at the 4:01 mark of the first half.

22 - Brittany Gamby

• Made her first career start for the Seahawks against the Mountaineers.

24 - Jessica Freeman

Led team in rebounding for the second time in her career.