Box Score Going into Saturday's contest the WVSU women's basketball team needed a couple of things to happen in order to gain a first round bye in the upcoming Mountain East Conference tournament. 

The Yellow Jackets needed Fairmont State to defeat visiting Shepherd and the Jackets needed to beat visiting Charleston.

First the Falcons dispatched the Rams and then WVSU jumped into the lead early and thwarted every Golden Eagle rally attempt, including a huge late surge, to earn a 58-53 win.

"It gives us the opportunity to have some good chemistry going into the tournament,"  Yellow Jacket head Coach Charles Marshall said. "The thing I was proudest of today was that they never gave up, once they cut the lead down we didn't fold."

WVSU saw a 17 point second half lead shrink to just two at 52-50 with 1:23 to play as Charleston outscored the Jackets 21-6 over an eight minute span. 

But the Yellow Jackets were clutch at the free throw line hitting their last six, four from Shea HInes and two by Amiea Summers, while the visitors missed two of their last three shots from the floor.

Hines finished 11-of-11 from the charity stripe.

The victory earned WVSU a sixth place finish and a quarterfinal meeting with #3 University of Virginia at Wise Thursday at 2:15 at the Charleston Civic Center.

The Yellow Jackets avenged and early season road loss to the Cavaliers with a thrilling 77-75 last second win at home Thursday.

Seniors Rachel Ward, Shealyn Shafer, and Summers were honored prior to Saturday's game.

Shafer is winding down a career that sees her second in career rebounds and third in points scored in the program's history.

She finished with six points and 10 rebounds Saturday to give her 1,214 points and 960 rebounds in her four years.

Hines paced WVSU with 24 points and Jasmine Davis added 11.