Morgantown, WV (U-WIRE) -- With an encouraging performance under its belt, the West Virginia University women's basketball team travels to New Jersey for a noon game against nationally ranked Rutgers on Sunday.

After a 31-point rout of Syracuse Wednesday evening, the Mountaineers have a record of 12-6 overall, and 3-4 in the Big East. Freshman Chakhia Cole had a double and senior Sherell Sowho scored 20 against the Orange, as West Virginia cruised to the easy win that snapped a two-game losing streak.

The 'Cuse held Meg Bulger to 9 points as her older brother Marc watched from the stands. But Bulger remains the Big East's leading scorer, averaging over 20 points per game.

Sowho is second on the squad with a 13.2 ppg average, and point guard Yolanda Paige is scoring at an 11.5 ppg clip while handing out assists at a torrid pace. Already West Virginia's career leader in assists, Paige is averaging 9.6 each contest.

Cole has been active on the glass, clearing 7.3 rebounds per game. If the Mountaineers are going to return to the NCAA tournament, they will need to win at least 19 regular-season games, which would require matching last season's 10-6 conference mark.

Because WVU ends the season with games against national powerhouses Notre Dame and Pitt, winning games in January involves an unusual urgency.

"It (the NCAA Tournament) is still in a lot of minds. Every game is a must-win for us," Bulger said.

Rutgers, ranked No. 8, is 14-4 and 5-1 in the Big Eas t. It boasts wins over No. 8 Tennessee, No. 3 Texas, No. 1 LSU and most recently over No. 13 Boston College. The Scarlet Knights downed BC (to whom WVU has lost twice) 71-60 on Wednesday as guard Cappie Pondexter poured in 27 points.

Rutgers employs a small lineup as its only true frontcourt player is six-foot-two forward Michelle Campbell. Guards Chelsea Newton, Nikki Jett, Essence Carson, Matee Ajavon, Courtney Locke and Rebecca Richman all see significant playing time in coach Vivian Stringer's deep lineup.

Ajavon, Campbell and Pondexter all score in double figures and Newton scores more than 9 points per game.

Campbell and Carson take care of much of the rebounding, while Newton and Ajavon's tenacious defense helps hold opponents to 52 points per game.

The game will be a rematch of last year's Big East tournament semifinals that the Scarlet Knights won 61-51. Despite losing close games last week at Boston College and Villanova, the Mountaineers found out they could play with top teams.

"We're not losing to teams by 20. We're not losing to teams by 10," Bulger said. "It's all by a couple points. We're not putting teams away when we should be."

WVU does not return home for a game at the Coliseum until a Feb. 8 matchup with St. John's.

(C) 2004 The Daily Athenaeum via U-WIRE