OLEAN, N.Y. – Liz Repella scored 15 of her season-best 20 points in the second half to rally the undefeated No. 6 West Virginia Mountaineers to a comeback 62-53 win over St. Bonaventure on Thursday night.
Asya Bussie added 13 points as the Mountaineers (13-0) overcame their first halftime deficit of the season by outscoring the Bonnies 47-33 in the second half.
Armelia Horton scored 11 for St. Bonaventure (9-5), which lost for only the second time in its past eight.
The Mountaineers went ahead for good on Vanessa House's layup 4:40 into the second half as part of a 10-1 run. Extending the best start in the Big East program's history, West Virginia shook off a terrible first half in which it missed 15 of its first 16 shots.
The 13-game winning streak is three shy of a 16-gamer the Mountaineers had last season, and nine shy of matching the team record set in 1991.
West Virginia starting point guard Sarah Miles returned after missing seven games with a left knee injury and finished with nine points and seven assists as a reserve.
Miles led a solid defensive effort that frustrated Bonnies leading scorer Megan Van Tatenhove, who missed all nine attempts and finished with 6 points.
The Mountaineers came out flat in playing their first game in nine days, since a 71-39 win over North Carolina Central. They trailed 20-15 at the half, and committed 12 turnovers after entering the game averaging only 18 a game.
West Virginia finally took control in the second half by attacking the basket. Bussie played a key role in the Mountaineers' second-half resurgence, hitting three baskets in the first 7½ minutes.
The Atlantic 10 Conference's Bonnies didn't whither, but never regained the lead. Doris Ortega scored on a drive to the right post to cut the Mountaineers lead to 50-49 with 4:57 left.
West Virginia answered back with a 12-1 run in which Repella hit two 3-point baskets.
Repella scored the Mountaineers' first basket, after they opened the game by missing their first eight shots. Repella hit a 3-point shot from the right wing 6:50 in to cut the Bonnies lead to 8-3.
The Bonnies were marginally better, hitting three of their first 15 attempts and finishing the first half going 6 of 22 in holding a 20-15 lead.
It was the second time this season the Bonnies have held an opponent to 15 points in the first half, also doing so in a 45-40 win at Marist on Dec. 4.
Mountaineers backup guard Tonia Williams broke her nose in practice on Wednesday and did not play. She's appeared in six games, averaging 4.3 minutes.
