INSTITUTE, W.VA. – Facing the third-best scoring offense in the country, West Virginia State University Women's Basketball fell at the wings of league foe Fairmont State Wednesday in Walker Convocation Center, 73-66.
The Yellow Jackets slip to 11-5 on the season and 7-4 in the Mountain East Conference, while the Falcons improve to 11-6 overall and 9-3.
State boasted a pair of double-digit scorers on the stat sheet, led by senior Charity Shears' 15 points. Junior Destiny Fields posted 13 and a team-high eight rebounds and added two steals.
Sophomore Caroline Scott tallied a season-high with seven boards, and junior Hannah Shriver led the squad with three three-pointers at 42% clip.
The Yellow Jackets totaled just nine points in the first quarter, beginning with a trey from junior Ashley Davis, picking up where she had left off Monday when she tallied four three-pointers during the fourth quarter.
Entering the second frame, Shears quickly tied the contest at 12-12. The two squads traded points for the next five minutes until Fairmont State turned in an 8-0 run in the final two and a half minutes to send State into halftime trailing 16-25.
A pair of free throws from Fields, followed by a ZZ Russell jumper, trimmed the deficit for State to just seven points at 27-20 as the third quarter developed. The Yellow Jackets cut the Falcons' lead to just two points after junior Shelby Harmeyer went back-to-back on a layup and a three pointer, followed by another trey- this time from Shriver- to put the score to 30-28.
The Falcons quickly replied with a pair of jump shots, but Fields and Shriver followed up to come within just one point at 34-33. For the next two minutes possession went back and forth until FSU added some cushion to increase their lead to 47-39.
From there, the Shears sisters worked to narrow the gap, as Payton Shears sunk a basket from the line before Charity followed with a layup and free throw of her own, to bring the score to 47-43 in favor of Fairmont State.
A pair of three-pointers from the Falcons spoiled the short threat from State, as the third quarter wrapped with FSU leading 53-45.
Fairmont held the lead for the entire fourth quarter. For the first five minutes of the frame, the State stars were Charity Shears and Fields, as the pair logged seven points total working to catch up to the Falcons.
Back-to-back jumpers from freshman Emyah Fortenberry and Fields and another trey from Shriver applied some pressure to FSU as the Yellow Jackets, and then a layup from Scott and three from C. Shears brought State to within five points at 69-64 with 1:40 left on the clock.
After both teams took multiple trips to the line in the final minute and a half, Fairmont State pulled off the victory 73-66.
Davis finished with five points and Fortenberry put up four in the contest. Each had a pair of rebounds.
UP NEXT
The Yellow Jackets travel north to Maryland to face Frostburg State Saturday. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m., with live stats and video available.
