West Virginia State University Athletics

        The tortoise and the hare is a children's story used to teach kids that slow and sure is the best strategy.

That is a nice story but Wednesday evening the West Virginia State women's basketball team showed what can happen in real life when such a match-up occurs on a basketball court.

The running and pressing Yellow Jackets defeated the more methodical University of Virginia at Wise 74-51.

"We had good energy from the start and on the offensive end we moved the ball better and got good spacing," WVSU Head Coach Charles Marshall said. "If we continue to do that we'll get better every day."

The Cavaliers were happy to play role of the tortoise holding the ball deep into the shot clock on every possession while looking for a high percentage shot.

That approach looked like it might pay off early as Wise gradually came from behind to lead 32-30 at halftime.

The visitors hung on early in the third quarter leading 34-33 after the first minute.

But as the Yellow Jackets were warming up and catching their second breathes the Cavaliers were wearing down.

WVSU senior Aurreshae Hines took advantage of the defender's slowing footwork and drove for a quick layup to move the Jackets in front 35-34 and the visitors could never catch up again.

"Shae Hines came out and had another big performance for us and she needs to continue to do that," Marshall said.

Hines was last week's Mountain East Conference Player of the Week.

She received plenty of help.

"Kimbery Richburg showed up for us tonight," Marshall said of the 5-foot-9 New Jersey native. "She had a double-double in 21 minutes and is still not playing the way she is capable of."

The Yellow Jackets made 12 steals and forced 25 turnovers all together. They also outscored the Cavaliers 13-2 on fastbreaks.

Hines led WVSU with 17 points and four assists. Richburg finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds while Jasmine Daviss added 13 points.

"I was very happy with our balance tonight," Marshall said.
 

The Yellow Jackets travel to Concord Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. game against the Mountain Lions.

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         In Wednesday's nightcap the WVSU men dropped a heartbreaker to UVa-Wise 83-81 on a last second shot.

         The Yellow Jacket men led 37-33 at halftime but the Cavaliers got hot in the second half and pulled ahead by 10 points with 12:05 to play.

         WVSU fought back to re-take the lead at 75-74 with 4:01 remaining.

         The visitors edged in front over the next couple of minutes and led by four before back-to-back buckets by Pat Johnson-Agwu tied the score at 81-81 with 41 second left.

          Wise missed a shot as the shot clock ran down with 15 seconds left but the Cavaliers came up with a steal at the top of the key on the Yellow Jackets' end with 3.4 second showing and hit a shot at the buzzer for the win.

           Robert Fomby led the Yellow Jackets with 19 points and 10 rebounds with Johnson-Agwu adding 17 and 12.

          WVSU plays at Concord Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and then returns home to face Notre Dame on Wednesday.