INSTITUTE, W.Va. -- West Virginia State's Women's Basketball team suffered their fifth straight defeat with an 81-80 decision to Pitt-Johnstown. State dominated the offensive glass, pulling down 29 offensive rebounds to UPJ's 14, but a 16 percent shooting second quarter proved too much for the Yellow Jackets to overcome.
State falls to 5-5 overall and remains stationary at 2-4 in the Mountain East. Pitt-Johnstown improves to 2-11 and stands pat at 0-6 in the PSAC.
Emyah Fortenberry racked up her fifth double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds, nine of those board coming on the offensive glass.
Latisha Parris,
Shanley Woods, and
Baylee Goins all contributed 11 points to the WVSU effort.
West Virginia State opened the game with strong offensive execution, shooting 45.5% from the field and converting 5-for-5 free throws. Emyah Fortenberry contributed six points and five rebounds, helping WVSU build a 12-point lead at the 3:08 mark. Pitt-Johnstown responded with a late surge, highlighted by a three-pointer from Belle Bosch and second-chance points from Lydia Miller. WVSU led 27-20 at the end of the first.
Pitt-Johnstown dominated the second quarter, outscoring WVSU 20-9. Riley Childress made 7-of-8 free throws and added two rebounds, while Bosch and Sophia Ott contributed six and three points, respectively. WVSU struggled offensively, shooting just 16% (4-for-25) from the field and missing all 12 three-point attempts. UPJ took a 40-36 lead into halftime.
Both teams traded baskets in a high-scoring third quarter. Pitt-Johnstown scored 23 points, led by Lydia Miller's seven points and Riley Childress's three-pointer. West Virginia State matched their pace with 22 points, including six from Fortenberry and five from Baylee Goins. WVSU narrowed the gap to five points late in the period but trailed 63-58 entering the final quarter.
West Virginia State made a strong push in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit with an 11-0 run led by Latisha Parris and Shanley Woods. Fortenberry continued to be a presence in the paint, adding four rebounds. Pitt-Johnstown, however, made key plays down the stretch, with Bosch and Ott combining for nine points. A late basket by Ott and free throws from Childress secured the 81-80 win for Pitt-Johnstown.
WVSU continues non-conference play with a matchup against the Salem Tigers on Wednesday, Jan. 8 in the Walker Convocation Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 PM.
