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West Virginia State University Athletics

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WBB2122 Team Win
Photo: Todd Griffith
102
Winner West Virginia St. WVSt 17-5,13-4 MEC
69
West Va. Wesleyan WVW 2-17,1-16 MEC
Winner
West Virginia St. WVSt
17-5,13-4 MEC
102
Final
69
West Va. Wesleyan WVW
2-17,1-16 MEC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
West Virginia St. WVSt 29 31 26 16 102
West Va. Wesleyan WVW 20 10 25 14 69

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

WVSU wins sixth straight with a complete performance at Wesleyan

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – The West Virginia State University women's basketball team (17-5, 13-4 MEC) extended its win streak to six games with a road victory, 102-69, at West Virginia Wesleyan (2-17, 1-16 MEC) on Saturday afternoon. The Yellow Jackets held the lead from the opening basket and won all four quarters in a complete performance to solidify their second-place spot in the Mountain East Conference standings.

Five of West Virginia State's players scored in double-digits including Destiny Fields (17 pts.), Charity Shears (15 pts.), Shelby Harmeyer (15 pts.), ZZ Russell (13 pts.) and Alana Kramer (12 pts.).

State put nine points on the scoreboard without a response from Wesleyan to start the game. ZZ Russell assisted on a three-pointer from Payton Shears before she knocked down a three herself to create the early advantage. The Bobcats then went on a 9-2 run in a little over a minute to chop the lead to two points, 11-9, with six minutes to go in the first quarter.

The Yellow Jackets regained the momentum with an 18-4 run over the following four minutes. WVSU shot 7-of-10 from the floor, 2-of-3 from three-point range, and 2-of-3 from the charity stripe during the stretch to go up 29-13. WVWC then scored seven unanswered to close out the first quarter and shrink the lead to nine, 29-20.

Scoring was sparse at the beginning of the second quarter with each team collecting just four points in the opening few minutes. State then blew Wesleyan out of the water by holding the Bobcats scoreless from the seven-minute mark to around the four-minute mark. The Yellow Jackets dropped 17 points on their opponents during the stretch to grow their lead to 26, 50-24. Both Alana Kramer and Shelby Harmeyer scored six points on the dominant run to help their team to the commanding lead.

WVSU cooled off in the final four minutes of the first half, but was still able to increase its advantage before the intermission. State doubled up Wesleyan with a 60-30 lead at halftime. The Yellow Jackets shot almost 50 percent from the field in the first half with 14 steals and 30 points off turnovers. Meanwhile, the Bobcats shot 46 percent from the floor but only attempted two three pointers and did not make either.

With a massive 30-point advantage going into the third quarter, WVSU had every right to turn on the cruise control. However, State decided to keep its foot on the gas pedal for another ten minutes to maintain its distance from Wesleyan. The Yellow Jackets edged the Bobcats, 26-25, in the third period to take any remaining pressure off going into the fourth stanza.

The last quarter was nearly a formality with State holding a 31-point lead, 86-55, from the outset. With the contest already in hand, WVSU merely needed to keep its concentration while seeing out the final period of play. The Yellow Jackets let off the gas, but only slightly as a courtesy to their fellow MEC driver. They still won the fourth quarter, 16-14, and eclipsed 100 points scored in a game for the second time this season by doing so.

State shot over 40 percent from the floor and from behind the arc while forcing 33 turnovers and scoring 41 points off those turnovers. WVSU only turned the rock over 13 times to limit Wesleyan's opportunities.

The Yellow Jackets will return to the Walker Convocation Center for their next game against the undefeated Pioneers of Glenville State on Monday, Feb. 14th. They are currently the No. 1 ranked DII women's basketball team in the nation. The highly-anticipated matchup between the top two squads in the MEC is set to tip-off at 5:30 p.m.

 
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