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West Virginia State University Athletics

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Photo: Todd Griffith
94
Winner W.Va. State WVSU 7-2,3-2
89
West Liberty WLU 6-3,4-2
Winner
W.Va. State WVSU
7-2,3-2
94
Final
89
West Liberty WLU
6-3,4-2
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
W.Va. State WVSU 18 33 21 22 94
West Liberty WLU 24 18 24 23 89

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | James Garcia, Sports Information Director

WVSU wins hard-fought contest at West Liberty, 94-89

WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Virginia State University women's basketball team (7-2, 3-2 MEC) earned a hard-fought victory over West Liberty (6-3, 4-2 MEC) on Saturday night. The Yellow Jackets held the lead for 63 percent of the game, including when it matters most.

Destiny Fields was the game's leading scorer with 20 points. Shelby Harmeyer (13), Alana Kramer (12), and Kalia Cunningham (10) also scored in double-figures. Emyah Fortenberry led the rebounding effort by WVSU with nine boards.

The Yellow Jackets fell behind, 11-3, three minutes after the opening tip-off and used their first timeout to halt West Liberty's momentum. The much-needed timeout paid off with West Virginia State being able to come back after the pause. WVSU went on a 13-4 run over the next three minutes to go up by one, 16-15. Alana Kramer started the run with a three-point bucket and Kiya Thompson finished it with a driving layup. The Hilltoppers ended the first quarter on a 9-2 run to leave the Yellow Jackets with a six-point deficit, 24-18, going into the second.

West Virginia State closed the six-point gap in just over a minute into the second quarter. Shelby Harmeyer knocked down a three-point shot to tie the score at 26-apiece. For the remainder of the first half, the Yellow Jackets played with the lead. WVSU was trailed closely by West Liberty up until the four-minute mark. Ahead by two, 41-39, West Virginia State finished off the second period on a 10-3 run in which Destiny Fields accounted for seven points. The result of the half-ending run was a nine-point advantage, 51-42, for the Yellow Jackets at halftime.

The lead was relinquished two-and-a-half minutes into the third quarter. The Hilltoppers scored 10 unanswered to go ahead by one, 52-51. WVSU then used its first timeout of the second half to regroup. The play leveled out after another effective timeout called by Head Coach Charles Marshall. Scoring was back-and-forth for the rest of the third period. A jumper by Kramer followed by another trey by Harmeyer in the closing minutes of the third stanza helped West Virginia State to a six-point edge, 72-66, going into the fourth. 

The Yellow Jackets gained a double-digit lead for the first time in the game within 30 seconds of the start of the fourth quarter. ZZ Russell hit a shot from behind the arc before Fields made a fastbreak layup to put WVSU up by 11 points, 77-66. West Liberty then gradually chipped away at the lead until it was gone with two-and-half minutes left to play. A WLU jumper ultimately tied the score at 89-all.

Both teams struggled to score in the final two minutes of the contest. Fields made one-of-two free throws in the first of the final two minutes, 90-89. Kalia Cunningham was sent to the charity stripe next and made both of her foul shots, 92-89, with 15 seconds remaining. The Hilltoppers carelessly turned the rock over with their penultimate possession and fouled Payton Shears with the clock running out. She made both of her free throws to give the game its final score.

West Virginia State had one of its best games shooting-wise to earn the victory. The Yellow Jackets shot 49 percent from the floor and 48 percent from three-point range. In comparison, the Hilltoppers shot 47 percent from the field and only 36 percent from behind the arc.

The Yellow Jackets will pick back up after the holiday break with a home contest against Elizabeth City State on Monday, Jan. 3rd. They beat the Vikings, 78-73, on the road earlier in the season. The tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.

 
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