ELKINS, W.Va. -- West Virginia State's women's basketball team faces a crossroads this week, with two teams that have a combined 11 wins since 2009, the Yellow Jackets need to secure wins, and tonight, State accomplished the task, taking down Davis & Elkins 80-67 in the McDonnell Center on the Davis & Elkins campus. WVSU extends its winning streak over the Senators to 10 straight victories.

State improves to 7-7 on the season, 3-5 in the Mountain East. The struggling Senators fall to 1-12, 1-7 in the MEC.

WVSU's Ashley Kerekes played a career high-26 minutes and secured her first career double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds, nine of them on the offensive end. Her rebound mark is also a career high for the sophomore. Shanley Woods also reached double figures with 16 points on the back of four treys and 4-of-4 from the foul line. Emyah Fortenberry was the beast on the boards with 15.

Davis & Elkins's Sophia Toscano led all scorers with 22 points.

West Virginia State opened the game with efficient offense, as Woods and Kerekes each hit three-pointers. Fortenberry controlled the boards, grabbing five rebounds. Zakorrah Russell added a layup late in the period to maintain WVSU's edge. Davis & Elkins kept pace with LaChazity Shaver scoring inside and Kylie Morris contributing with second-chance points. WVSU ended the first quarter ahead 18-17.

WVSU dominated the second quarter, outscoring Davis & Elkins 29-8. Kerekes led the scoring surge with 12 points, including a three-pointer and multiple fast-break layups. Hallie Bailey contributed several assists, while Russell added another three-pointer. Defensively, WVSU forced turnovers and limited Davis & Elkins to 28.6% shooting. Toscano provided some offensive relief for Davis & Elkins, but WVSU extended their lead to 47-25 by halftime.

Both teams traded points in the third quarter, with each scoring 19. Toscano paced Davis & Elkins with six points, while Russell hit two three-pointers to keep WVSU's lead intact. Fortenberry remained dominant on the glass, grabbing eight rebounds in the period. Morris and Rebecca Kaba scored for Davis & Elkins, but WVSU maintained a comfortable 66-44 advantage heading into the final period.

Davis & Elkins outscored WVSU 23-14 in the fourth quarter, led by Toscano and Morris. WVSU secured the win through key free throws from Kerekes and late defensive rebounds by Fortenberry. Despite a strong push from Davis & Elkins, which included contributions from Jahniya Marion and Kaba, the early deficit was too large to overcome. WVSU emerged victorious with an 80-67 final score.

State returns home for a matchup against the West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats on Saturday, Jan 18. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 PM.