INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The West Virginia State University women's basketball team came up short against Livingstone, 106-95, on Saturday night before falling to Winston-Salem State, 89-78, on Sunday afternoon. The pair of non-conference games were part of the Holiday Inn Conference Challenge between Mountain East Conference (MEC) and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) schools.

Game 1 (West Virginia St. vs. Livingstone)
West Virginia State had four players score in double-digits even though the Yellow Jackets ultimately fell to Livingstone, 106-95, at the Walker Convocation Center on Saturday night.

Sophomore guard Payton Shears put up a game-high 26 points in her season debut. She made 17-of-18 free throws on the night. Freshman guard Destiny Fields nearly reached double-double figures by coming down with eight rebounds alongside 14 points. Sophomore guard Sierra Womack showed tremendous effort in a six steal, five rebound, five assist performance.

The Yellow Jackets started strong in the first period, going up 12-4 in the opening six minutes of the game. The Blue Bears rallied back, however, claiming a 17-15 lead in the closing seconds of the opening quarter.

Livingstone carried its momentum into the second period, going ahead by as much as 14 points, 38-24, with just under three minutes until halftime. West Virginia State responded with an 8-0 run in a one-minute span. The Blue Bears then knocked down a couple of three-pointers in the final minute of the first half to claim a 10-point lead, 45-35, going into halftime.

Livingstone outscored West Virginia State, 35-23, in the third period. Going into the final period, West Virginia State was down by 22 points, 80-58.

The Yellow Jackets went down by as much as 32 points, 92-60, with seven minutes left in the game. They finally showed their true potential by embarking on an incredible 35-14 run to finish out the contest.

West Virginia State outscored Livingstone, 37-26, in the fourth quarter. The Yellow Jackets were able to force 10 turnovers in the last seven minutes with a non-stop, full-court press.

Game 2 (West Virginia St. vs. Winston-Salem St.)
West Virginia State once again had four players score in double-figures despite coming up short against Winston-Salem State, 89-78, on Sunday afternoon at the Walker Convocation Center.

This time around, sophomore guard Charity Shears, twin sister of Payton, led the Yellow Jackets in scoring with 18 points. She hit six shots from beyond the arc and six shots from the field to get to her points total. Freshman guard Destiny Fields was one rebound shy of a double-double. She grabbed a team-high nine boards to go along with another 14 points.

West Virginia State hung with Winston-Salem State for the entirety of the first half. The Yellow Jackets went into the break down by only seven points, 35-28.

West Virginia State then proceeded to outscore the Rams, 34-31, in the third period. A three-pointer by Payton Shears, followed by a fastbreak layup and two made foul shots from Destiny Fields, cut Winston-Salem State's advantage to a mere four points, 66-62, at the end of the third quarter.

Sierra Womack drove into the lane for a layup to start the final period. A quick turnover followed up by a three-pointer from Charity Shears gave WVSU the lead, 67-66, early in the fourth quarter. The Rams hit more of their shots in the last nine minutes of the game to come out on top in what was an otherwise close contest.

West Virginia State will host Kentucky State on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. for its next game.